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EVALUATING THROUGH READING
Text A. THE CIVIL COURTS 
Task 1. Read the text. What new information did you find in it? 
Civil actions take place between two or more individuals in dispute. These 
disputes can take many forms, for example between neighbours, families, 
companies, consumers and manufacturers. It is the function of the civil courts 
to adjudicate on these disputes.
The courts with original civil jurisdiction are chiefly the County Courts and 
the High Court.

Justice in minor

 
civil cases is administrated in the County Courts. These 
courts have very severely limited jurisdiction. They have only limited equita-
ble jurisdiction to issue orders compelling persons to do (or refrain from do-
ing) certain things. Except for a few cases in which they are specifically au-
thorized to review the decisions of administrative authorities, County Courts 
have no power to consider appeals against administrative decision-making. 
County Court judges sit on circuits and hold periodic sessions at several hun-
dred courthouses scattered around the country. 
The
 
High Court is a small tribunal with no more than 75 judges. The Queen 
formally appoints the judges on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor 
who makes the real selection. It is divided into three Divisions: the Queen’s 
Bench Division, the Chancery Division and the Family Division. To the Chan-
cery Division are assigned all cases and matters relating to land, mortgages, 
bankruptcy, trade-marks, intellectual property (copyright and patent), disputes 
about wills and so on. To the Family Division are assigned all matrimonial 
causes and matters: divorce, child welfare and administration of wills. The 
Queen’s Bench Division deals with the remaining business – disputes about 
contracts and torts or land. The Queen’s Bench Division has some special sub-
divisions, including a Commercial Court (dealing with large and complex 
business disputes), a Crown Office List (dealing with actions against public 
authorities) and an Admiralty Court (shipping matters). Each division has its 
own presiding judge. The Lord Chief Justice heads the Queen’s Bench Divi-
sion, The Vice Chancellor heads the Chancery Division, the President heads
 
the Family Division. The High Court is a central court. It sits in London. Some 
of the justices, however, also go on circuit around the country. 
There is almost always the possibility of an appeal from the court of trial 
(called a court of first instance). The party who appeals is an appellant, the 
other is the respondent. For the High Court the appropriate appellate court is 
the Court of Appeal (Civil Division for civil cases and Criminal Division for 
criminal cases), consisting mainly of the Master of the Rolls (the presiding 

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judge) and Lords Justices of Appeal. High Court judges may be assigned to sit 
in specific cases, particularly criminal appeals. The Lord Chief Justice nor-
mally sits when criminal appeals are also under consideration. The Court of 
Appeal generally sits with three members.
The final court of appeal is the House of Lords. This court consists of le-
gally qualified life peers, styled “The Lords of Appeal in Ordinary”, who are 
appointed by Her Majesty the Queen. The Lord Chancellor is the head of the 
judiciary. He is entitled to preside over the House when it sits as a final court 
of appeal. He appoints magistrates, makes recommendations for higher judi-
cial appointments and oversees such matters as the administration of the 
courts, legal aid and law reforms. He is appointed by the Crown on the ad-
vice of the Prime Minister. In addition, former Chancellors and present and 
former judges who happen to hold peerages are also qualified to sit with the 
law lords. Most cases coming before the House of Lords are appeals from the 
Court of Appeal. A procedure by which appeals from the High Court would 
lie to the House of Lords is known as the “leap frog” because the Court of 
Appeal is not involved.