Hi, my name is Michael and I'm a Law student.
Within UK Law. There's a lot of confusing terminology and words that you might not understand. So today my job is to unscramble it and make sense of it all.
'Novus actus intervenions'. It's a word used in the break of the chain of causation. So for example, if I was driving along and crashed into someone and on their way to hospital they got into another accident. Bad luck - I know. But in that second accident, they have sustained further injuries that essentially could trump my injuries, that there can break this chain of causation, which could move the liability for me to whoever crashed into the ambulance car.
The next phrase is 'intent'. 'Mens rea' or 'intent' (as it's commonly known). So you see a grandma walking down the street with a purse sticking out of her bag. You've decided you're going to take that purse and you're going to do it. That's intent.
The next phrase is 'actus, reus'. 'Actus reus' is the other half to proving something - it's the act of committing. So when you picked that wallet out of the bag, you are essentially committing theft because you've thought about it and you've gone and taken the purse, you've got intent and committing act and that there is theft with intent.
'Hearsay' - it's a term you've all probably heard before. It's essentially one word against another argument. And it usually happens when a defendant or the prosecution have something to say and it's not backed up with any evidence.
'Objection'. This is a word used by either the prosecution or the defence side. One side's giving an argument and they say something, for example, hearsay evidence. It's down to the judge to decide if they agree with it or if they disagree with it.
Objection! Overruled. That means to disagree or to move on.
'Adjourn' or 'adjournment'. This is a posh word for break. This means the court is going on a break and will be back in session soon.
That last phrase I just mentioned - 'back in session' is exactly what it means. The court has come back and they're going to start the next part of the proceedings.
So, 'particulars of claim' or 'POC'. In every firm, every single case that goes through a firm has a POC. It's just an essential term that means - what are the facts of your case? Black and white on paper.
Forgot what I was gonna say...
'Under oath', this is a thing you might have heard or you've seen on TV, but it's to do with lying in court. If we were in, say, a court session and you were under oath, if you've sworn on the Bible to not tell any lies and you do, you can be faced with an offence of perjury. Perjury can carry prison time. It can carry fines, and it can carry probation for people that do. Because essentially you're trying to mislead the court into an incorrect result from what it would have been.
'Litigation executive', or 'solicitor'. These two terms are used a lot. They're relatively the same. But again, quite different. A solicitor has done their law degree. They've gone up and done either a training contract or an LPC. They've qualified and now they work under the name 'solicitor'. Litigation executive will do their law degree if they want to, or CILEX programme and move up through the ranks again doing a similar thing. But they specialise in an area of law.
Hopefully this video has helped you understand a little bit more about law. If you'd like to find out more information about our law courses, click on the link in the bio.
Bosh.
