Difference between civil law and criminal law


Both regulate citizens and include and determine the consequences of serious and less serious crimes. Civil law deals with the disputes between individuals, organizations, while criminal law deals with crimes and their legal punishment. It also maintains the stability of the state and society by punishing offenders. In civil law, a case can be filed by a private party, while in criminal law, it can be filed by the government. In civil law, it depends on the judge whether a defendant is liable or not. In criminal law, the jury decides if a defendant is guilty. In terms of the types of punishment, in civil law, the punishment is called compensation for injuries or damages, while in criminal law, it is custodial (imprisonment) or non-custodial punishment (fines or community service). In some cases, death penalty is applied. In civil law, either party can appeal the decision of a court, while in criminal law, only the defendant can appeal the verdict of a court. Civil law includes, for example, fraud, breach of contract, negligence and so on, while criminal law includes, for instance, murder, theft, robbery among others.