Civil Law

Introduction

Civil law is the source of law that defines and protects the private rights of citizens. It is the element of our law that governs private rights. People are entitled to certain rights and freedoms simply because they are members of our society. The law imposes a duty on all of us to respect the rights of others. When these rights are imposed upon, civil law allows for a process to address the wrongdoing. Civil law offers legal remedies that may be sought in a dispute and which can be handled in or out of the courtroom. In this microlesson, we will review some of the types of law within the area of civil law, such as contract law, property law, tort law, and family law.

All About Civil Law

Civil law is the body of law that governs private or civil rights. Civil law provides remedy for wrongs by compensating the person or entity that has been wronged rather than punishing the wrongdoer. Civil law governs ordinary private matters, separate from laws governing over criminal, military, or political matters. Review the presentation below that addresses areas of law within the realm of civil law, as well as examples of situations or cases covered through each type of law. There will be a more detailed look at each type of civil law later on in the course.

Civil Law and Criminal Law

Civil law and criminal law serve different purposes in our legal system. Even though there are differences, in some situations a case can be a civil and criminal matter. Because a single wrongful act may constitute both a public offense and a private injury, it may bring on both criminal and civil charges. The situation may give cause to punish a wrongdoer with prosecution and to allow for the injured person to receive compensation for damages for the injury caused by the wrongdoer. Review the diagram below to look at some of the differences between civil and criminal law processes.

Let's Review!

Take a moment to participate in the following activity to practice your understanding of the topics in this module. Reach out to your instructor if you have any questions.

Final Thoughts

When our private, legal rights are violated, we have recourse through the system of civil law. Civil law is the group of laws that make up for wrongs against us, other individuals, and even businesses and other entities. Civil law not only governs support in enforcing legal promises; civil law also applies when one person is injured by another, or through a civil offense. The law also provides for a remedy for wrongs that are caused to a person by the wrongdoer.

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