Courts and Legal Procedures
Objectives
- Name basic stages of a case
- Describe court hierarchy simply
- Understand common procedural verbs
Explanation
Main verbs: to file a claim, to serve notice, to hear a case, to rule, to appeal. In Costa Rica, cases go from first-instance courts to appellate courts and, in some matters, to the Supreme Court's chambers (Salas). The Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional, 'Sala IV') hears constitutional matters. Use 'court of first instance' rather than 'lower court' in formal writing.
to file a claim
To formally start a legal action.
“We filed the claim in March.”
hearing
A court session where parties present arguments or evidence.
“The hearing is scheduled for June.”
ruling
A decision made by a court.
“The ruling favours our client.”
to appeal
To ask a higher court to review a decision.
“The defendant decided to appeal.”
to settle
To resolve a dispute by agreement without a court decision.
“The parties settled before trial.”