Econlib

The Library

Other Sites

Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow SECTION XXI.: EQUITY COURT COSTS, HOW DISPOSED OF. - The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 3

Return to Title Page for The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 3

Search this Title:

Also in the Library:

Subject Area: Economics
Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: Law

SECTION XXI.: EQUITY COURT COSTS, HOW DISPOSED OF. - Jeremy Bentham, The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 3 [1843]

Edition used:

The Works of Jeremy Bentham, published under the Superintendence of his Executor, John Bowring (Edinburgh: William Tait, 1838-1843). 11 vols. Vol. 3.

Part of: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, 11 vols.

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


SECTION XXI.

EQUITY COURT COSTS, HOW DISPOSED OF.

Enactive.—Instructional.

Art. 1. Costs incurred in the Equity Courts in the suits which the Dispatch Court disposes of,—in relation to this matter, what course shall the Judge take?—Answer:

i. Take it into his own hands he must: otherwise, as to this matter the suit remains in the Equity Court; effectual relief afforded, none.

ii. Supposing the suit terminated by mutual consent;—in this case, in some way or other the costs cannot but be disposed of: the course taken in that case will so far afford a parallel and standard of reference. But upon such agreement, compulsion is out of the question: and here, need for compulsion may have place, especially where on either side mala fides has place.

iii. The only difficulty is that which regards taxation. That both parties should sit down with their own costs would not be consistent with justice: it would be giving to the malâ fide suitor the benefit sought for by him. Where there is no mala fides, each party may sit down with his own costs; unless difference as to pecuniary circumstances may present a claim to allowance to the relatively indigent from the relatively opulent, in return for the relief afforded him by the Dispatch Court. Where no taxation has place, simple arithmetic may do the business. Where taxation has place—i. e. where mala fides has place,—in this case by a Judge-depute may the business perhaps be done.

Enactive.—Expositive.

Art. 2. In the course of an Equity suit, it every now and then happens that in virtue of some rule of procedure or practice, reimbursement of costs to one party at the expense of another has place, on some incidental occasion, and without reference to the mere question between the parties, or to the consideration of which party has in respect of the main question been most in the wrong or most in the right: from which state of things it may happen that a party who on the score of the main question has to receive costs—that is to say, reimbursement of the costs expended by him—has had to pay, and has accordingly paid costs, in respect to this or that incidental matter, as above. To arrangements of this sort, when already made, the Dispatch Court Judge will not without some special and sufficient reasons give disturbance: but neither in any of these ways, nor in any other, will he assist any party in taking advantage of his own wrong: whatsoever arrangements he finds necessary to make to avoid doing injustice in this shape, he will on this as on every other occasion make.

Art. 3. Under the name of Equity Court Costs, include for this purpose and on this occasion costs expended and incurred in any Courts, Common-Law or Ecclesiastical, on the proceedings of which, or in the result thereof, the Equity Court costs had on the occasion of the suit in question exercised, or was in a way to exercise any controuling or directing power: as to which, see Section VI. Judge’s Powers, &c.

Enactive.—Instructional.

Art. 4. Suppose a case in which, on the part of the plaintiff, at the commencement of the suit, the demand made in it was groundless, and he conscious of its being so: but in the meantime in the course of the suit, on the part of a party to whose damage wrong has been done by the institution of the suit, incidental breach of regulations, or say irregularity, has been committed in such sort that money on the score of costs has been paid by him to a party on the other side, or according to the regulations become requisite to be paid by him. In the allotment he makes in regard to costs, the Dispatch Court Judge will consider, that but for the dishonesty of such plaintiff, and the suffering thereby wrongfully inflicted by him on the defendant, to whom he has constituted himself adversary, no such transgression on the part of the defendant could have had place. Power accordingly to the Dispatch Court Judge to cause such malâ fide, or say evilly-conscious, plaintiff to refund the whole or any part of the money so received or allowed in account under the name of costs, and in any proportion allot and refund it to the party by whom it was paid, or his representatives, as the case may be, to him or them alone; or else to the public revenue alone; or in any proportion to divide the same between the individual and the public revenue.

Enactive.—Instructional.—Ratiocinative.

Art. 5. Note, that though in general there will in this respect be no difference between one party and another on the same side, and accordingly on failure of proof, direct or circumstantial, to the contrary, the presumption acted upon will be that there is none,—yet, as this is a case not incapable of having place, accordingly, should it appear to have place, the Judge will act accordingly: seeing the regard by him had in this as in all other cases to their several pecuniary circumstances, he will assess the whole of the costs upon him or those whose state of mind has been that of evil consciousness, no part upon him or those whose state of mind has been that of blamelessness, and so in the case of blameable heedlessness.