A civil court is a legal forum. Its purpose is to resolve non-criminal disputes between individuals, organizations, or entities. It handles matters such as contracts, property disputes, personal injury claims, and family issues. It aims to provide fair resolutions and remedies to aggrieved parties.

This module looks at the application of Scottish civil legislation to disputes such as:

• contracts
• reparation
• the law of civil evidence in general

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• learn how civil litigation may be funded
• learn about the significance of jurisdiction
• learn the procedural events in an ordinary civil action
• understand different types of processes competent in the Sheriff Court and the Court of Session
• explore the matters which commonly arise in the settlement of litigation
• examine the concepts of specification and relevancy in civil procedure
• learn about the jurisdictional requirements of Sheriff Court actions. This includes appeals to Sheriff-Principal and the Court of Session
• look at professional ethics in civil court practice

Assignments / assessment

• Coursework 1 (45%)
• Coursework 2 (45%)
• Professional attributes (10%)
  • includes attendance at and participation in tutorials

This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching methods / timetable

• lectures
• independent study
• tutorials

Lectures teach civil court procedures during workshops to develop student civil advocacy skills. 
 

Tutorials will be delivered in small groups with a maximum of 12 students per group. This allows you to learn by active participation.