VPRS 5328 Civil Action/Cause Books

This series was used by the Prothonotary's Office as a record of all civil actions initiated in the Supreme Court of Victoria. The volumes were originally known as 'Action Books', but the title changed to Cause Books in 1885. These books were used to record the history of each action by noting details about the action and the documentation lodged.A civil action was initiated when a plaintiff filed a summons at the Prothonotory's Office. The summons set out a complaint against another party, the defendant. It sets out the nature of the plaintiff's complaint and also a provision that if the complaint is met by a specified date, the action would cease.The defendant then has three alternatives. He can either:- meet the complaint on the summons and thus end proceedings,- do nothing, in which case a default judgement (and costs) would be awarded by the court in the plaintiff's favor, or,- contest the action through the lodging of a document known as an 'appearance'. Only if this latter alternative is followed does an action become a civil trial.Details regarding each action are spread over 2 folios (4 pages) in these books. The first two pages identifies the parties involved and detail the nature of the action. Information contained on these pages include, the number of the action, the names of the plaintiff, defendant(s) and their solicitors, the date of filing the summons, the entering of the appearance, a description of the complaint, damages sought and, if applicable, details on the issuing of writs of copias ad satisfaciendum (ca.sa) or fieri facias (fi.fa.). (A fi.fa directs the sheriff of the Supreme Court to seize assets belonging to the defendant with a view to auctioning them to satisfy the complaint on the summons whilst a ca.sa. also sees the defendant arrested. An attempt by the plaintiff to have one of those writs issued with the summons is usually an indication that the defendant is a declared insolvent.The second folio (the last 2 pages of the 4), was used to document details of contested actions or default cases. Blank entries on these pages indicate that the defendant met the complaint on the summons. Details on these pages include: date of the close of pleadings (the pre-trial phase in which the facts of trial are described by the parties), date of delivery of trial papers, whether an action is for trial or assessment of damages (default cases became an assessment for damages, such cases being indicated by the word 'default' in this column), whether trial by judge alone or with jury, trial date, verdict, costs, details of final judgement, details of issue of fi.fa. or ca.sa. with the judgement and remarks. The remarks column usually notes details of any subsequent court action, the issue of any nisi rules and the filing of sundry information.Between 1841 and 1854, the details entered upon the second pair of folios in the Action/Cause book were entered in a separate series. This is VPRS 5331 Judgement Book which is indexed by VPRS 5330 Index to Judgment Book.The actions are arranged in action number order, the action number being an annual single number. The action number was issued when the summons was filed by the plaintiff at the Prothonotary's Office. Entry into the series is via VPRS 5327 Index to Action/Cause Books [1843-1975]. This index is arranged by the surname of the defendant, divided into alphabetical groups. The name of the plaintiff and the action number are given and the action number allows entry into the Action/Cause Books. The Index to Action/Cause Books (VPRS 5327) is used in conjunction with the Action/Cause books (VPRS 5328) for entry into VPRS 267 Civil Case Files [1852-1919].Details on civil cases can also be located in VPRS 5329 Action/Cause Judgement Books (1859-1982) which lists the outcome of all contested actions or default judgements, VPRS 5330 Index to Judgements which records the same for 1851-1858; VPRS 5332 Execution Books [1855 to 1980] which notes all actions in which a fi.fa or ca.sa was issued; VPRS 5377 Rule Book [1855-1886] which records actions in which Rules Nisi were issued and VPRS 5388 Debt Attachment Books [1856-1941].

本系列档案为维多利亚最高法院书记官处所用，用于记录该院受理的全部民事诉讼。该系列卷宗最初被称为“诉讼案卷（Action Books）”，并于1885年更名为“案由案卷（Cause Books）”。此类卷宗通过记载诉讼详情及提交的各类文件，完整记录每起诉讼的历程。

民事诉讼的提起以原告向书记官处提交传唤令为标志。传唤令需载明原告对另一方被告的诉求详情，同时附带条款：若被告在指定日期前满足原告诉求，则诉讼终止。被告此后有三种应对选择：其一，在传唤令中满足原告诉求，直接终结诉讼程序；其二，不予理会，此时法院将作出有利于原告的缺席判决（default judgement）及诉讼费用判令；其三，提交名为“应诉声明（appearance）”的文件以抗辩该诉讼。仅当被告选择第三种方式时，诉讼才会进入民事审判环节。

每起诉讼的详情会占该卷宗中的2张对开页（共4页）。前两页用于列明诉讼参与方及诉讼事由详情，包含的信息包括：诉讼编号、原告、被告及双方事务律师的姓名、传票提交日期、应诉声明提交日期、诉求详情、索赔金额，以及（如适用）执行令状的签发详情，即“财产扣押执行令（copias ad satisfaciendum，简称ca.sa.）”与“变卖令状（fieri facias，简称fi.fa.）”。其中，fi.fa.指令最高法院法警扣押被告资产并通过拍卖所得清偿传唤令中的诉求；ca.sa.则会同时逮捕被告。若原告在提交传唤令时一并申请签发上述任一令状，通常意味着被告已被宣告破产。

第二组对开页（即4页中的后两页）用于记载抗辩诉讼或缺席案件的详情。该页的空白条目即代表被告已满足传唤令中的原告诉求。此页包含的信息有：答辩终结日期（即由双方陈述审判事实的审前阶段）、审判文件提交日期、诉讼类型为审判还是损害赔偿评估（缺席案件均为损害赔偿评估，此类案件会在本栏标注“default”字样）、审判组织形式为独任审判还是陪审审判、审判日期、判决结果、诉讼费用、终审判决详情、随终审判决一并签发的fi.fa.或ca.sa.的签发详情，以及备注栏内容。备注栏通常会记载后续诉讼、暂准命令（nisi rules）的签发及各类杂项文件的提交等信息。

1841年至1854年间，诉讼/案由案卷中第二组对开页的内容被单独归档为一个系列，即VPRS 5331《判决卷宗》，其检索索引为VPRS 5330《判决卷宗索引》。本系列卷宗按诉讼编号排序，诉讼编号为年度独立编号，于原告向书记官处提交传唤令时核发。检索该系列卷宗需通过VPRS 5327《诉讼/案由案卷索引（1843-1975）》：该索引按被告姓氏的字母顺序分组编排，会列明原告姓名及诉讼编号，使用者可凭借诉讼编号调取诉讼/案由案卷。VPRS 5327《诉讼/案由案卷索引》需与VPRS 5328《诉讼/案由案卷》配合使用，以调取VPRS 267《民事案件档案（1852-1919）》。

民事诉讼的相关详情还可在以下档案系列中查询：VPRS 5329《诉讼/案由判决卷宗（1859-1982）》，该卷宗收录所有抗辩诉讼及缺席判决的结果；VPRS 5330《判决卷宗索引（1851-1858）》，同样记录上述内容；VPRS 5332《执行卷宗（1855-1980）》，记载所有签发过fi.fa.或ca.sa.的诉讼；VPRS 5377《规则卷宗（1855-1886）》，记录签发过暂准命令的诉讼；以及VPRS 5388《债务扣押卷宗（1856-1941）》。