Is the law on your side? A new book by a top judge reveals the complexities of Britain’s court system, which deals with over 1.37 million cases each year.
The boy who sued his parents and lost
Settling disputes: Every day, courts become involved not only in criminal cases, but disputes between family members, employers and employees, organisations and more. Glossary
Ghana - A country in West Africa.
Mrs Justice - It is convention in the England and Wales legal system that High Court judges are referred to as Mr or Mrs Justice. A female judge might by Mrs Justice even if she is unmarried.
Jury - A group of people who are chosen to look at evidence about a crime and decide what the facts are.
Gaza - The smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt.
Post Office - A state-owned post office company in the UK. Post offices are places where people can post letters and parcels, buy stamps and deal with some banking and insurance matters.
Supreme Court - The highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions.
Tribunal - A body or court set up to decide on disputes.
Asylum - When a state agrees to shelter somebody who is fleeing dangerous circumstances. The right to asylum is protected in international law by the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Unfair dismissal - When a person loses their job without a fair reason or without normal procedures being followed.
Magistrates' court - Where the majority of criminal cases are heard in England and Wales. The maximum sentence a person can receive in a magistrates' court is 12 months imprisonment.
Appeal - A request for help.