Civil Law vs Criminal Law - Explained
What is Civil Law? What is Criminal Law? The differences compared.
Written by J. Mance Gordon
Updated at April 21st, 2024
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What is civil law?
Civil law may refer to a system of law, but it generally refers to civil actions which are legal actions between individuals.
Do not be confused by the various uses of the word civil within the legal system.
In this case, it means suing or bringing a lawsuit against an individual, a business, or a governmental body.
What is criminal law?
Criminal law, in contrast, refers to the rules and procedures for enforcing those rules prohibiting bad acts of individuals within the governing body's jurisdiction.
While civil actions seek compensation for losses or an order from the court restricting certain conduct, criminal actions seek to punish individuals for violating a criminal law. Often, an individual's actions will subject her to criminal prosecution by the government as well as a civil action by an injured party.
How Does Civil Law Compare to Criminal Law?
While civil actions seek compensation for losses or an order from the court restricting certain conduct, criminal actions seek to punish individuals for violating a criminal law. Often, an individual's actions will subject her to criminal prosecution by the government as well as a civil action by an injured party.
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- What are the "common law" and "civil law" systems?
- What is "public law" and "private law"?
- What is "substantive law" and "procedural law"?
- Sources of state and federal law?
- United States Code of Laws
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