Proxy An individual appointed to represent a shareholder at a shareholders meeting.
Quantum （ of Damages） The level or amount of monetary compensation （ damages） awarded by a court or agreed between the parties to a case by negotiation.
Quash Over-rule or annul a previous court decision.
Queen s Counsel A title bestowed on barristers who have demonstrated a high level of professional expertise and competence. Barristers appointed as“Queen s Counsel”may use the letters“QC”after their names and are sometimes referred to as“silks”or“Leading Counsel”.
Quorum Minimum number required to be present at a meeting in order for decisions taken at that meeting to be valid.
Registered Office Official address of a company as recorded with the Registrar of Companies at which official documents and legal proceedings can be served on a company.
Registrar of Companies Official responsible for maintaining the“Company Registry”recording details of incorporated companies.
Remedy The specific means by which a party receives restitution or satisfaction for loss caused by another. （ E.g. the usual remedy for personal injury is damages.）
Resolution A decision made by members of a company.
Respondent Person defending an application to court for a specific order or defending Employment Tribunal proceedings.
Return Date Date set by a court for an interlocutory hearing.
Restrictive Covenant Clause to prevent an employee competing etc. with his/her employer.
Rights of Audience Right to appear in and address a particular court or tribunal.
Service Provision or delivery of court documentation （ such as a claimform or noticeof a forthcoming court hearing etc. ） . A person receiving such documentation is referred to as having been“served”.
Set Aside A subsequentorder or direction froma courtcancelling a previous judgmentor order （ referred to as“setting aside”the previous order or direction） .
Setting Down for Trial Now usually referred to as“listing for trial”. （ See“Listing for Trial”above. ）
Settlement An agreement reached betweenparties to a legal disputewhich concludes that dispute.
Shareholder Owner of shares in a com pany （ i.e. who is a“m em ber”of that company） .
Solicitor A lawyer who prepares cases and legal transactions on behalf of a client（ often instructing a barrister to provide representation in court） .
Special Damages Actual financial losses which can be specifically ascertained as having been incurred between the date the cause of action arose and the date of trial. （ E.g. loss of earnings up to trial and property damage sustained etc.）
Standard of Proof The criterion or degree of proof required in order for a party to establish its case. （ E.g. in civil cases the standard of proof is“on the balance of probabilities”whereas in a criminal case it is usually“beyond all reasonable doubt”.）
Statute Legislation in the form of written laws and regulations （ such as“Acts of Parliament”created by the UK Parliament） .
Stay A halt to court proceedings. Proceedings which are thus“stayed”do not continue any further （ although a stay can subsequently be“lifted”to enable those proceedings to continue） .
Strike Out To“strikeout”means that thecourt has ordered that a particular aspect of a case （ such as particular writtendetails in a statement of case） is to beremoved fromthecourt records and can therefore no longer be relied upon. The court can strikeout an entire case if a party is sufficiently dilatory in complying with steps required by the court， thereby effectively terminating those proceedings.
Subpoena Witness summons requiring a witness to attend court to give evidence.
Sue Informal term meaning to issue legal proceedings.
Testimony Statement or assertion made to a court by a witness.
Tort A breach of a duty imposed by civil law （ e.g. negligence） .
Unliquidated Damages Damages （ monetary compensation） which cannot be precisely quantified upon commencement of legal proceedings （ as opposed to liquidated damages which can—see above） .
Vicarious Liability A legal conceptwhereby a person or entity can be held liable for the fault or wrongdoing of another. （ A typical example of this is an employer being liablefor the negligence of an employee acting in the course of his employment， i.e. vicariously liable. ）
Without Prejudice A legal concept whereby oral or written communication can be entered into between parties with a view to reaching a negotiated settlement. I.e. on thebasis that the details of such communication cannot bedisclosed to thecourtor relied upon in court in the event that a settlement is not achieved.
Writ Court form traditionally used to commence legal proceedings in court. （ Note that claim forms are now used far more commonly for commencing legal proceedings.）