Abatement in law would terminate it completely although it could be restarted at the plaintiff's request. The second term is more common. It has now been abolished, in most if not all, common law jurisdictions.
Abatement in law would effectively eliminate it entirely, but it could be revived at the plaintiff's discretion. The second phrase is more commonly employed. Abolition of this practice has occurred in most, if not all, common law territories.