以上術(shù)語均與“第三人訴訟” （third party proceedings或 third party action)中的“第三人”相關(guān)。其中，third party (也稱為outside party，third person)為“訴訟第三人”，泛指經(jīng)被告申請后進入本訴（this action)審判程序但卻不屬于本訴主要當事人（principal party)的人或?qū)嶓w[1]。其作用主要是分擔（contribution) 或補償（imdemnity)被告在訴訟中的損失。

在訴訟中，被告為保護自己的利益，可用impleader的方式，對原本不是本訴被告的第三人提起訴訟主張（claim)，使之成為第三人之訴(third party proceedings)的被告。這種由被告追加成為訴訟當事人的第三人則被稱為impleaded party (被告追加的訴訟第三人）或third party defendant (第三人之訴的被告）[2]。

此外，第三人也可自愿參與訴訟，成為intervener (或intervenor)(“ 參與訴訟者”）或 amicus curiae (或 friend of the court) (“法庭之友”）。“參與訴訟者”與“法庭之友”之區(qū)別在于前者完全是因為利益相關(guān)而自愿介人訴訟，而后者則可能是自愿或經(jīng)法院要求而參與訴訟[3]。凡以intervenor身份參與訴訟的形式被稱為 intervention 。

[1]“Someone other than the principal parties, also termed outside party. ”Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 1489，West Group (1999).

[2]“In order to provide defending parties an opportunity to more fully protect themselves , most procedural systems provide some mechanism by which the defendant can bring in (implead) a third party defendant (impleaded party). ”Id. at p. 116.

[3]“An intervenor is a person who is not already a party to an ongoing action but who seeks voluntarily to be made a party, typically because she shares some interest in the litigation and is concerned that in her absence that interest will not be adequately protected. ”Id. at p. 118. Amicus curiae is“ a person who is not a party to a lawsuit but who petitions the court or is requested by the court to file a brief in the action because that person has a strong interest in the subject matter.”Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 1489, West Group (1999).

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