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Case management An approach to the control of litigation in which the court assumes responsibility for the progress of cases through pre-trial stages to ensure that court resources are deployed appropriately and court backlogs and delays are reduced.

Case manager A registrar assigned to manage the case file (in conjunction with a judge) through the various stages of the court process.

Casebook (also known as ‘the bundle') All documents to be relied on or referred to during the hearing of a case including briefs of evidence, lawyers’ submissions, and cases. Rules of court prescribe how and who compiles the casebook/bundle. Casebooks can be physical or electronic.

Casefile A collection of documents in the custody or control of the court that relate to a case before the court.

Case law The collective term for decisions of judges.

Certified copy A copy of an original document that has been endorsed as true by a person who has sighted the original.

Chambers A judge's office. A hearing ‘in chambers’ is a hearing that is not conducted in open court.

Charge A formal statement (usually by a Police officer) accusing a person of having committed an offence.

Charging document The document on which is entered the charge to be brought before the court.

Civil Law The law relating to private persons as opposed to the criminal law.

Closed court A court in which the whole or any part of a case is heard in the absence of the public. Most hearings in the Family Court, for example, are held in closed court.

CoCA An abbreviation of the Care of Children Act 2004.

Common bundle An agreed collection of documents to be relied upon by the parties at the trial or hearing.

Common law The law embodied in judicial decisions as opposed to statute law.

Community Magistrate (CM) A judicial officer of the District Court who sits on a wide range of less serious cases in the criminal jurisdiction of the District Court.

Contact arrangements Rights of a person who doesn't have day-to-day care of a child to spend time with the child.

Coroner A judicial officer responsible for the investigation of deaths, particularly those happening under unusual circumstances, and determining the circumstances and cause of death.

Counsel A lawyer who appears before a court.

Court order A direction or command of the court drawn up in a formal document.

Court record The official collection of documents that have been produced or created in the course of a trial or a hearing. The formal court record comprises those documents recording the exercise of judicial authority, such as judgments, orders and directions.

Court registry officer (CRO) A registrar or deputy registrar of the court responsible for maintaining the records of the court, and exercising certain judicial powers.

Court Rule A rule regulating the practice and procedure of a court.

Court taker A member of the court registry responsible for the court file who attends court with the judge.

Court Victim Advisor A member of the Ministry of Justice who provides a victim with information about the court proceedings as well as programmes, remedies and services available to the victim through the Ministry.

Criminal law Laws that stipulate certain wrongs are punishable by the state.

Crown

1. 1. The reigning king or queen in the capacity of Sovereign, often signifying the executive government under the Crown.

2. 2. The prosecution in a criminal trial for serious offences.