HIGH COURT, LONDON, ENGLAND

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Nelson says: "It's an uphill struggle"

As a layperson, it is extremely difficult to bring any matter before a court.  The first problem is which court and what cause of action?  Without the benefit of professional legal guidance you are at the mercy of the court.  You know what you want to say and how you have been wronged.  However, your claims may be stuck out if they are not written as the court would want to see them.  Of course as a layperson you don't know what the court wants to see and they cannot advise you.  For this reason you will probably be bounced back and forward between the Queens Bench division and the Administrative division, before you are able to divine the correct path to take.

My advice is to make a stab at your particulars (your story) and get it before a master.  If he laughs at your first attempt, you know you've got a way to go before you get anywhere near a case together.  If you get your first try struck out, don't panic.  Take what you learned and try to put the good bits together - then file again fresh.  This way you don't incur costs.

The High Court is a daunting building.  A great monolith of stone and sculpture.  It's also a maze to navigate.  Forms have to be filed in different rooms on different levels, so leave yourself plenty of time to get lost.  Today, Wednesday 11 February 04, I suffered a setback.  The master who had reserved my case to himself, had not been well over Christmas.  Consequently, he had not read my draft claims, was caught by surprise and confronted with 65 pages and only a few minutes in which to absorb them.  Impossible!  It did not go down well.  Although he made a valiant attempt, he got bogged down in the preamble, which somewhat masked the sting.  I fully accept his criticisms, but am now faced with a drastic overhaul..  I think the Citizens Advice Bureau should be extended to allow litigants in person to be seen before and after hearings, for interpretation.