Tort
A civil wrong (other than breach of contract) for which the law provides a remedy, usually damages. Common torts include negligence, nuisance, and defamation.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
England and Wales does not have a single statute defining 'tort'; the word is used throughout the civil justice system to describe the category of civil claim, distinct from contract, that is heard alongside contract claims in the ordinary civil courts. The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary's own description of the County Court's work groups 'tort' claims together as 'civil wrong' cases, contrasted with claims in contract.
Most tort claims — whether for negligence, nuisance, or defamation — are issued and heard in the County Court, which has jurisdiction over contract and tort claims nationwide, alongside recovery of land actions and, in some centres, equity, probate and defamation work.
Related terms
Official sources
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