legal word of the
day: A DEMURRER
ENG: a “so what?”
objection, a written objection to the pleading of the opposing party that says
that although everything stated in the pleading (a claim or a criminal
complaint) is true, there is no legal basis for a lawsuit
POL: zarzut procesowy
pismo stwierdzające, iż strona nie podważa twierdzeń pozwu /aktu oskarżenia
i jednocześnie stwierdza, iż nie stanowią one podstawy roszczenia/ oskarżenia.
(1) While a demurrer admits the truth
of the plaintiff's set of facts, it contends
that those facts are insufficient to
grant the complaint in favor of the
plaintiff.
TO CONTEND – twierdzić
(to argue, to claim)
A COMPLAINT (US) –
pozew (a claim form (UK))
TO GRANT THE
COMPLAINT IN FAVOR OF THE PLAINTIFF – wydać wyrok uwzględniający powództwo (to
decide that the person who has brought the action wins)
(2) Even where the formal demurrer is no longer used, lawyers and judges often use the old term for an
argument of the same type.
(3) A demurrer to evidence is a motion seeking dismissal on grounds of insufficiency of evidence from the
prosecution to convict the accused.
A MOTION – wniosek
(a formal request)
DISMISSAL –
oddalenie (throwing the case out of court)
INSUFFICIENCY OF
EVIDENCE – niedostateczność dowodów (evidence that does not legally justify the judicial action demanded or requested by the parties based on its character,
weight, or amount)
TO CONVICT – skazać (to find someone guilty)
(4) (UK) In civil law a
demurrer as such is no longer available under the current law of England
and Wales. However, two similar procedures may be employed where claims without merit need to be expeditiously dismissed: an application on notice for summary judgment and the power of the court to
strike out the particulars of claim.
WITHOUT MERIT –
bezpodstawne (not based on a solid foundation/ argument)
EXPEDITIOUSLY – bez zbędnej zwłoki (as soon as
feasible, instantly)
AN APPLICATION (UK) – wniosek (a motion (US), a formal
request)
ON NOTICE – za powiadomieniem strony/ stron (where notice
is given to the other party or parties)
A SUMMARY JUDGMENT – wyrok w sprawie rozpoznanej na posiedzeniu
niejawnym (bez przeprowadzania rozprawy) (also judgment as a matter of law, a
judgment entered by a court for one party and against another party summarily,
i.e., without a full trial)
TO STRIKE OUT – oddalić (to order written material to
be deleted so that it may no longer be relied upon)
PARTICULARS OF CLAIM – uzasadnienie pozwu (the document
setting out the case of the claimant; either contained in the claim form
(pozew) or served on the defendant with the claim form)
(5) (UK) In criminal law demurrer
is obsolete, although not formally abolished. It has been superseded by the
more modern motion to quash, usually a verbal application to the judge to rule the indictment null and void and
to stop the case. (Demurrer was pleaded in
writing).
A MOTION TO QUASH – wniosek
o oddalenie
A VERBAL APPLICATION – ustny wniosek (a formal request
made before the court)
TO RULE SOMETHING NULL AND VOID – orzec o nieważności,
dosł. uznać coś za nieważne i niebyłe (to decide that the document has no legal
force)
TO PLEAD – tu: składać
(here: submit)
(6) (US) In civil cases the
demurrer was replaced by the Rule 12(b)(6) motion
to dismiss for failure to state a claim.
A MOTION TO DISMISS FOR
FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM – wniosek o oddalenie powództwa z powodu braku podstaw
roszczenia
(7) (US) In a criminal case, a
demurrer is a defendant’s assertion that the document laying out the charges—the complaint, information, or indictment—is legally insufficient.
In demurring, the defendant claims that the
charging document is so flawed that it can’t be used to convict him or her.
A CHARGE – zarzut ( a formal accusation of a crime)
A COMPLAINT/ AN INFORMATION/ AN INDICTMENT – akt
oskarżenia (a document in which a
person is formally accused of a crime)
