Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

R vs yourself

English answer:

Regina (the Queen, that is, the State)

Added to glossary by Sasan Zangeneh Bar
Jun 12, 2011 23:04
12 yrs ago
29 viewers *
English term

R vs yourself

Non-PRO English Law/Patents Law (general)
R – vs –Yourself – City of Westminster Magistrates' Court – Sentence on...

What does "R" stand for/mean here?

Thanks!

Responses

+9
8 mins
Selected

Regina (the Queen, that is, the State)

In the UK, "R v. ....." (usually v. rather than vs. for "versus") is how legal cases are described; the "R" stands for "Regina" (or "Rex" when the monarch is male) and means the state prosecuting authority. So "R vs. Yourself" means the case which in which the state is prosecuting you for some offence.

The government and its agencies act in the name of the monarch in the UK.

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Note added at 19 mins (2011-06-12 23:23:51 GMT)
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In principle, it means the State itself, as personified by the Queen. In practice, prosecutions are conducted in the UK by the Crown Prosecution Service (note the word "Crown"!). See this article for further details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Prosecution_Service

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Note added at 20 mins (2011-06-12 23:25:18 GMT)
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(Needless to say, the Queen herself takes no part in criminal prosecutions.)

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Note added at 1 hr (2011-06-13 00:31:21 GMT)
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Strictly speaking, the Crown Prosecution Service does not operate in the whole of the UK but only in England and Wales. The equivalent agenciy in Scotland is the Crown Office (again the royal title) and in Northern Island it is the Public Prosecution Service.

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Note added at 10 hrs (2011-06-13 09:52:41 GMT)
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Oh dear, spelling mistakes in the last note: "agency" and "Ireland", not "agenciy" and "Island".
Note from asker:
So something like "public prosecutor"?
Peer comment(s):

agree Veronika McLaren : in Canada, too, it is still Her Majesty the Queen vs.
1 hr
Thanks, Veronika :) I didn't know that, but it makes sense constitutionally.
agree Sabine Akabayov, PhD
1 hr
Thanks, sibsab
agree Polangmar
1 hr
Thanks, Polangmar
agree Liz Dexter (was Broomfield)
5 hrs
Thanks, Liz
agree Tony M
8 hrs
Thanks, Tony
agree Jack Doughty
8 hrs
Thanks, Jack
agree AllegroTrans : definitely
9 hrs
Thanks, Allegro
agree Phong Le
14 hrs
Thanks, Phong Le
agree hadiethelm
189 days
Thank you, hadiethelm
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks!"
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