Personal injury · Gibraltar
Find the right personal injury lawyer in Gibraltar for your claim
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory with its own common law system, its own courts and its own legal profession. Tell us what happened and we will match you free of charge with a solicitor or barrister who handles personal injury work there.
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- Guidance on the three-year injury period
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Personal injury claims in Gibraltar
A local jurisdiction with its own rules and its own courts
An injury in Gibraltar — at work, on the road, in a shop or on a building site — leaves you coping with treatment and lost earnings while trying to understand a legal system that is not the same as England’s or Spain’s. Gibraltar has its own Constitution, its own Parliament and its own courts, so injury claims are handled within a distinct framework, from the Supreme Court’s civil jurisdiction to the Small Claims Jurisdiction. A personal injury lawyer in Gibraltar works inside that framework and knows how the Limitation Act applies to your accident. Our free matching service places your facts before a Gibraltar practitioner who handles this type of work, so you can understand your position before any time limit runs out.
How it works here
Personal injury claims under Gibraltar law
Gibraltar is not part of the United Kingdom and does not apply English procedure as if it were. The island has its own legislation, courts and legal profession, and injury claims are run and decided there. The points below set out the practical background that shapes a personal injury claim in this jurisdiction.
A separate common law jurisdiction
Gibraltar is not part of the United Kingdom. Its law is based on English common law, the rules of equity and statutes of general application as modified locally, and the Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 frames the judiciary and the courts. Claims are decided by Gibraltar judges under Gibraltar law, with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as the final court of appeal.
Where injury cases are heard
Personal injury cases are heard in the Supreme Court of Gibraltar, established under section 56 of the Constitution, which exercises a civil jurisdiction equivalent to that of the English High Court, including a Small Claims Jurisdiction. Civil matters are usually heard by a judge sitting alone. Appeals go to the Court of Appeal for Gibraltar, which normally holds two sessions each year.
Three years for personal injury
Under the Limitation Act, a personal injury claim must generally be brought within three years of the date the cause of action accrued, subject to the court’s discretion to extend. Other tort claims have a six-year period. Because time can begin to run before you appreciate the full extent of an injury, early advice matters.
Solicitors who may also act as barristers
Section 29(2) of the Supreme Court Act provides that a person admitted and enrolled as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar shall be at liberty to act also as a barrister. Many practitioners therefore hold a dual capacity and can advise and advocate in the same case, although specialist barristers are still instructed in the higher courts.
What it costs to bring a claim
Court fees are set out in Schedule 6 to the Supreme Court Rules 2000, as substituted in 2025, and vary with the amount claimed: from £35 for claims up to £300, through £350 up to £10,000 and £800 up to £50,000, up to £8,000 for very large or unspecified claims. Professional fees are agreed between lawyer and client.
Legal assistance and means testing
Civil legal assistance under the Legal Aid and Assistance Act (Act 1960-23) is available in connection with proceedings before Gibraltar’s courts and tribunals and may cover representation by a solicitor and, where necessary, a barrister. It is means-tested, with an income limit of £5,000 a year and a capital limit of £350, and is subject to a merits test.
Every country-specific statement on this page is taken from official Gibraltar sources — the Government of Gibraltar justice system pages, the Legal Services Regulatory Authority and Gibraltar legislation published at gibraltarlaws.gov.gi — consulted in 2025.
- Government of Gibraltar — Structure of the justice system
- Gibraltar Limitation Act
- Gibraltar Supreme Court Act
- Legal Services Act 2017
- Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA)
- Government of Gibraltar — Court fees, 2025
- Gibraltar Employment Act
- Court of Appeal Rules 2004
- Matrimonial Causes Act
- Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act
The difficulties
Why injury claims in Gibraltar are not straightforward
Three practical problems come up again and again when someone is injured in Gibraltar and starts looking for representation.
The three-year clock
Personal injury claims in Gibraltar are generally subject to a three-year limitation period, and it can expire before the full consequences of an injury are known. Delay narrows both the evidence and your options.
A jurisdiction of its own
Gibraltar is not the United Kingdom. Its courts, procedure and legal profession are distinct, so a firm that practises only in England or in Spain may not be set up to run a claim on the Rock.
Costs that are hard to predict
Court fees vary with the amount claimed, and professional fees are not fixed by any statute or public tariff. Without a clear view of both, it is difficult to judge whether a claim is worth pursuing.
How we help
Matched with a practitioner who works in Gibraltar
We do not practise law and we do not advise on outcomes. We connect you with a specialist who does.
Practitioners who know the jurisdiction
We match you with solicitors and barristers who work within Gibraltar’s own courts, from the Supreme Court to the Small Claims Jurisdiction, and who handle personal injury work as part of their practice.
Clarity on the limitation position
A first conversation should establish how the Limitation Act applies to your accident, what evidence exists and what the realistic procedural route looks like before anything is filed.
Transparency on fees and court costs
Because professional fees in Gibraltar are agreed between lawyer and client rather than fixed by statute, you can ask how the practitioner charges and which court fees will apply to your claim.
Free, and without obligation
Describing your situation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. You decide whether to instruct the practitioner we introduce, and you keep control of the claim throughout.
Also available
Other jurisdictions on the platform
Alongside Gibraltar, we match clients with practitioners in these European jurisdictions.
Questions
Personal injury claims in Gibraltar: common questions
How long do I have to bring a personal injury claim in Gibraltar?
Under the Limitation Act, the general period for personal injury claims is three years from the date the cause of action accrued, and the court has a discretion to extend it. Because time can run from the accident rather than from the moment you realise the full extent of your injury, a personal injury lawyer in Gibraltar should look at your dates early.
Is Gibraltar part of the UK legal system?
No. Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory with its own Constitution (the Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006), its own Parliament, its own courts and its own legal profession. Its law is based on English common law, the rules of equity and statutes of general application as modified locally. The final court of appeal is the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.
Do I need both a solicitor and a barrister?
Not necessarily. Section 29(2) of the Supreme Court Act provides that a person enrolled as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar shall be at liberty to act also as a barrister, so one practitioner may advise and conduct advocacy. In practice, specialist barristers are still instructed for advocacy in the higher courts and in complex matters.
Where will my claim actually be heard?
The Supreme Court of Gibraltar exercises a civil jurisdiction equivalent to that of the English High Court, including a Small Claims Jurisdiction, and civil cases are usually heard by a judge sitting alone. It also hears appeals from the Magistrates’ Court and from the Small Claims Jurisdiction. Appeals from the Supreme Court go to the Court of Appeal for Gibraltar.
Can I obtain legal aid for an injury claim in Gibraltar?
Civil legal assistance under the Legal Aid and Assistance Act (Act 1960-23) covers proceedings before Gibraltar’s courts and tribunals and may include a solicitor and, where necessary, a barrister. It is means-tested — for example, an income limit of £5,000 a year and a capital limit of £350 — and is also subject to a merits test.
What court fees apply when a claim is started?
Fees are set out in Schedule 6 to the Supreme Court Rules 2000, as substituted in 2025, and depend on the amount claimed: £35 for claims up to £300, £350 up to £10,000, £800 up to £50,000 and £1,100 up to £100,000, rising to £8,000 for unlimited or unspecified claims. Professional fees are agreed between you and your lawyer.
Next step
Tell us what happened, in your own words
Describe your accident and the injuries involved, and we will match you free of charge with a Gibraltar practitioner who handles personal injury work. There is no charge for the introduction and no obligation to instruct anyone.