What is civil law?
Q: What is civil law?
A: Civil law is a branch of the law in common law countries that deals with the duties individuals owe to other people or to their government.
Q: What is criminal law?
A: Criminal law is the other branch of common law that deals with crimes committed against society as a whole.
Q: What does civil law exclude?
A: Civil law excludes the duty not to commit crimes.
Q: How is the American form of civil justice different from European systems?
A: The American form of civil justice is considerably different from European systems in two ways: class actions and the awarding of punitive damages in tort cases.
Q: What are class actions?
A: Class actions are a type of lawsuit in which a large group of people sue a defendant on behalf of a larger group who have all suffered similar harm.
Q: What are punitive damages in tort cases?
A: Punitive damages in tort cases are damages awarded to the plaintiff that exceed the amount necessary to compensate them for their losses. They are intended to punish the defendant for their actions.
Q: Why are many people in other countries amazed at the number of civil cases in the United States?
A: Many people in other countries are amazed at the number of civil cases in the United States because Americans sue in a wide variety of cases for compensation and medical expenses that are covered in other countries by national health insurance and government compensation programs.
