1. You are in Find Case Law
  2. Help and support
  3. Find Case Law Glossary

Find Case Law Glossary

Find Case Law aims to make court judgments accessible to everyone. However, legal language and court terminology can be unfamiliar, even to regular users. This glossary explains common terms you'll encounter when searching for and reading court judgments, helping you understand how our service works.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N
O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Glossary of terms

Negligence

Failing to take reasonable care, which results in harm or loss to another person. For example, if someone's careless driving causes an accident, this could be negligence. Negligence cases are civil matters where the injured party can claim compensation.

Neutral citation

The official reference number for a published judgment. This is the standard way to identify and cite a specific case. For example, [2024] UKSC 15 is the 15th case published by the UK Supreme Court in 2024.