| Case
details
- Primary case
- The top of the CaseBase entry displays details of the primary
case such as the case name, citations, judge(s), court, judgment date
and popular name. Subscribers to reports and unreported judgments can
access the full text of the decision by clicking on the relevant link
from the case citation where available.
- CaseBase signals
- The CaseBase signal appearing next to the primary case name
indicates whether the decision has received positive, negative, cautionary
or neutral treatment in subsequent judgments. The signal is a summary
of the annotation information available from the list of appeal proceedings
and cases referring to this case. The CaseBase signals appearing
after the citation of the cases listed under the 'appeal proceedings'
and 'cases referring to this case' heading indicate the type of judicial
treatment that each of these decisions has received. Clicking on these
signals will take you to the CaseBase entry for these decisions.
More information about CaseBase
signals.
- Appeal proceedings
- Listed here are subsequent appeal proceedings relating to the primary
case. The annotation before the case name listed indicates whether the
appeal case affirmed, varied or reversed the primary case.
More information about CaseBase annotations.
- Cases referring to this case
- Decisions which have subsequently considered the primary case are
listed here. The annotation appearing before the case name indicates
how the primary decision was treated in each of these cases. The CaseBase
signals appearing after the citation of the cases listed under this
heading indicate the type of judicial treatment that each of these decisions
has received. Clicking on these signals will take you to the CaseBase
entry for these decisions. Subscribers to report series can access the
full text of the decisions listed here by clicking on the relevant link
from the case citation where available.
More information about CaseBase annotations.
More information about CaseBase
signals.
- Display and sorting
- The Display drop-down list allows you to view cases based on
the type of treatment they have given to the primary case. For example,
choosing the "negative cases only" option will only display
cases that have not followed, disapproved, overruled or reversed the
primary case. There are four options available: negative cases only,
negative and cautionary cases only, positive cases only or all cases.
The Sort by box contains three different options for sorting
the cases that appear in the table under the heading you are looking
at. Selecting any of these options will change the order in which the
cases appear. You may choose to sort the cases by judgment date (latest
first), alphabetically by case name or by annotation (negative annotations
first).
- Journal articles referring to this case
- Journal articles considering the primary case are listed under this
heading. Clicking on the CaseBase signal appearing after the
citation of an article will take you to the CaseBase entry for that
article. Subscribers to journals can access the full text of an article
(where available) by clicking on its citation.
- Words and phrases
- Particular words or phrases considered in a case are listed here.
- Catchwords and digest
- The catchwords appearing in bold text identify the main areas of law
dealt with and provide the legal context of the primary case or article.
The digest component states the legal issues considered and summarises
the decision of the court or the argument of the article. Where a case
or article deals with more than one major issue, a different set of
catchwords and digests may be used for each issue.
- Cases considered by this case
- Cases that were referred to or considered by the primary case are
listed under this heading.
- Legislation considered by this case
- Listed here are the legislative provisions referred to in the primary
case.
Cases that receive CaseBase
annotations
The Appeal proceedings and Cases referring to this case
sections of the CaseBase entry list cases that have later treated
the primary case. Before the name of each subsequent consideration case
is the annotation used to describe the way the court in that particular
case dealt with the primary case.
Descriptions of the
annotations used in CaseBase
The following annotations are used to denote how the court in the subsequent
appeal proceedings or the subsequent case has judicially considered the
primary case.
The ‘cases referring to this case’
and ‘cases that were referred to by this case’ sections of
the CaseBase entry
Applied Appl |
A principle of law articulated in the primary case is applied to
a new set of facts by the court in the subsequent case. |
Approved Appr |
The court in the subsequent case has approved the way the court
in the primary case, being a court of inferior jurisdiction, has articulated
a principle of law. |
| Cited |
The primary case is merely cited by the court in the subsequent
case, without comment. |
Considered
Cons |
The legal principles articulated in the primary case are considered
or discussed without adverse reflection in the subsequent case. |
Disapproved Disap |
The decision in the primary case is criticised by the court in the
subsequent case. |
Distinguished Dist |
The court in the subsequent case holds that the legal principles
articulated by the primary case (usually otherwise persuasive or binding
authority) do not apply because of some essential difference between
the two cases in fact or law. |
Explained Expl |
The decision reached in the primary case is justified by the court
in the subsequent case, drawing attention to some feature of the primary
case that may not be immediately obvious on its face. |
Followed Foll |
This annotation is similar to 'applied', but is used in circumstances
where the facts in the primary case resemble reasonably closely the
facts in the subsequent consideration case. |
Not followed Not foll |
The court in the subsequent case has declined to apply the principles
of law articulated in the primary case. |
Overruled Ovrr |
The legal principles articulated in the primary case are held to
be incorrect by the court in the subsequent case, which is a court
of superior or equivalent jurisdiction. |
Questioned Qstd |
The court in the subsequent case has expressed doubt about the decision
in the primary case, but does not actually determine that the principles
of law in the primary case are incorrect. |
The ‘appeal proceedings’ section
of the CaseBase entry
Affirmed Aff |
The decision in the primary case is upheld on appeal. |
Reversed Rev |
The decision in the primary case is overturned on appeal. |
| See |
The decision in the subsequent case relates in some way to the primary
case, but the court in the subsequent case is not assessing the merits
of the related primary decision. Please note that prior to LexisNexis
Butterworths' acquisition of CaseBase, 'See' would sometimes be used
in circumstances where editors now use 'Cited'. |
Varied Var |
The decision in the primary case is only partly reversed or partly
affirmed by the subsequent case. It is particularly used in circumstances
where the court in the subsequent case has altered the quantum of
damages awarded or the sentence imposed in the primary case. |
Related
Rel |
The decision in the subsequent case relates in some way to the primary
case, but the court in the primary case is not assessing the merits
of the earlier related decision. |
Special Leave Granted SLG |
Special leave to appeal the decision in the primary case to the
High Court or Privy Council has been granted. |
Special Leave Refused SLR |
Special leave to appeal the decision in the primary case to the
High Court or Privy Council has been refused. |
Note that different principles in the primary case may be treated differently
in the subsequent case, so that combinations such as Applied/Distinguished
are possible (indicating that one principle was applied and another distinguished).
The colours used
for CaseBase annotations
The colours used for the annotations highlight and draw attention to
four particular types of treatment. They do not change or add to the meaning
of the annotation.
Negative treatments such as disapproved,
not followed, overruled and reversed are coloured red.
Positive treatments such as followed,
applied, approved and affirmed are coloured green.
Treatments indicating caution required
are coloured yellow, and can range from a distinguishing or explaining
treatment (indicating that the law is still good but does not apply in
the circumstances), to a varying treatment or a questioning (sometimes
called a 'doubting') treatment.
Neutral treatments, such as considered and cited, are coloured black.
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