CIL - Case Law Pertaining to Civil Legal Disputes (Lesson)

Introduction

Civil law is the body of laws that govern private matters encompassing 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. Much of our civil law processes are based on common law or judge-made law which relies on prior court decisions to determine the outcome of the cases. In this lesson, we will review a number of historical and more recent cases that have set significant precedent pertaining to civil case law.

Precedents Set By Case Law

“Stare Decisis” – “Let the decision stand.” This governing principle means that the outcome of many lawsuits depends on the outcome of previous similar cases. The precedent set by case law is very important to the outcome of many civil cases. We reviewed several of those cases in a prior lesson. Review the presentation below to explore some additional cases that set significant precedent in our law today.

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

Case law is significant to our judicial system. It is a set of past rulings where judges made decisions on matters of law that have set precedent and continue to be cited as precedent in many legal matters. Landmark cases, such as those we have reviewed in this module, are studied because of their historical and legal significance. They have a lasting impact on the application of certain laws, often regarding our individual rights and liberties.

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