Civil Law

Civil law is a branch of law in which disputes between individuals or organisations are resolved. This differs with criminal law, where instead of a sentencing as punishment, it is often compensation. 

Key principles of civil law are protecting private rights and obligations, providing legal remedies for wrongs, and preponderance of evidence. 

☆ Preponderance of evidence is a legal standard of proof. Basically, it means that to win a case in court, you must prove to the judge or jury that your case is more likely to be true than the other side’s. 

Types of civil law disputes include:

• Contract 

  • This happens when one or more parties are unable or unwilling to hold their end of the bargain. Usually, it involves disagreements over contract terms or failures with the transfer of products/ money.

• Property 

  • This deals with both intangible (non-physical) or real assets and sets limitations on people in regards to said property.

• Family 

  • This outlines the relationship and responsibilities within a family. This covers divorce, child custody and support, adoption, and domestic violence cases.

• Commercial 

  • Commercial law deals with businesses. They often are breaches of contract in business agreements, shareholder/ partnerships disputes, or intellectual property problems (e.g. copyright)

    
    

• Tort

  • This is when a wrong committed against another person that causes another person or their property to be harmed. This can be anything from trespassing to medical negligence.

Relief for civil cases tend to be either monetary compensation, specific performance (where enforcement of an activity is implemented), injunction (being forbidden from carrying out an activity), or declarations (in which the person’s rights are clearly established).

Overall, civil law is incredibly significant. It protects individual and commercial rights, allowing our society to flourish by ensuring people have legal ways to resolve non-criminal disputes. 

Sources used:

https://sheokandlegal.com/civil-law/

https://www.lawhelp.org/resource/the-differences-between-criminal-court-and-ci

https://www.lloydlawcollege.edu.in/blog/all-about-the-civil-law.html