Civil Law

Civil law refers to a wide array of rules that govern legal matters among private citizens such as injuries, broken contracts, trademark infringement, and fraud. Civil law cases involve either a breach of duty or contract. In addition, civil law actions--suits in civil court--are brought about by private citizens, whereas criminal prosecutions are brought about by the government. Furthermore, civil law remedies for wrongful acts include monetary damages or reimbursements, and injuctions or court orders requiring or banning certain kinds of conduct. In contrast to criminal cases, the defendant--the party accused of being liable for wrongful acts--is not subject to fines or imprisonment.