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What is the difference between the civil law and the criminal law?

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Question added by Yazan Ahmad , programmer , wysada
Date Posted: 2013/06/12

Civil law deals with disputes between individuals or organisations and it concerns individual legal status, whereas criminal law is about regulations involving the state against individuals.

Gagandeep SIngh Arora
by Gagandeep SIngh Arora , Co-Founder , Litigation Practice

The difference is two fold. In the first instance all wrongs are civil in nature, only the wrongs committed by a person codified in a statute carrying penalies of penal nature i.e. incarceration, punishment, fines etc. are falling under the purview of criminal law. The proceedings under the criminal law are genrally to be initiated and administered by the state. Moreover,  there might be instances wherein the legal recorse to the same wrong may be both civil as well as criminal. For example, in many jurisdictions injury by way of physical attack leading to bodily harm shall be punishable as a crime as well as the injured shall have the right to claim damages for the injury suffered under the criminal law.

 

The second difference is the burden of proof vis-a-vis the two laws, in civil law the  person alleging the wrong has to prove the injury and the causation of the same by the defendant by preponderance of probabilities whereas in criminal law the prosecution or the complainant as the case may be has to prove the same beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

 

Narinder Singh
by Narinder Singh , ADVOCATE , MALHI & ASSOCIATES

criminal law is classified as public law. in criminal law any body can be prosecute who commits any offence against the sate or individual and can be punished   on the other hand civil law delas with the dispute between the individuals or state 

Mohammed Swaleh
by Mohammed Swaleh , Office Administrator/Site Supervisor , Bomaque Structural and Mechanical Fabricators Limited

Criminal law is classified as Public Law and it is regulated by state and it is between state and indiviuals/entities or both, to regulate or to maintain peace and harmony in the society/public, otherwise prosecuse the offender who is involved in public wrong. While Civil law is the body of law that deals with disputes between individuals or organisations and it concerns individual legal status, whereas criminal law is about regulations involving the state against individuals.

Gayasuddin Mohammed
by Gayasuddin Mohammed , Advocate , Practicing Law before High Court at Hyderabad

As already our friend nice explained, Civil law is classified as Private Law and it is between the individuals or entities or both. And the criminal law is classified as Public Law and it is regulated by state and it is between state and indiviuals/entities or both, to regulate or to maintain peace and harmony in the society/public, otherwise prosecuse the offender who is involved in public wrong. My 2 cents. thanks. 

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