Difference between civil and criminal law
Civil law and criminal law are two completely different entities with separate rules and punishments. In simpler terms, civil law deals with disputes between different individuals or organizations or both, wherein compensation is awarded to the victim. Criminal law is something that deals with cases of crime and its various punishments.
Civil litigation
In civil law, you can probably find two disputing parties seeking some form of compensation. Civil law is a very broad section of law dealing with various situations like employment issues, property issues, accident cases, landlord and tenant issues or any other family associated issues. An example for a civil lawsuit can be a situation where an injured person is seeking compensation for his/her injuries and losses due to an accident because of someone else’s negligence. The court will consider the case and will come up with a judgment to settle the dispute.
Criminal litigation
Criminal law is a completely different body of law dealing with criminal cases like felonies and misdemeanors. It can be anything from assault to any other wrong doing that can be considered as a criminal offense. Usually in criminal cases, there will be a plaintiff and a defendant. The plaintiff must prove in front of the court of the defendant’s crime. The court will carry on the prosecution as per the proofs submitted and will come up with the judgment.
Criminal law vs Civil law
Whether it’s a civil or criminal litigation, the main objective is to redress the wrongful action and handout punishments where ever necessary. Often in civil lawsuits, the wrongdoer is not actually punished, but is made to compensate for the loss that the victim has suffered. This way the victim gets his compensation and the offender is made to make good the wrong he has done. On the other hand, criminal law is mainly intended to punish the offender so that it sends a strong message that such actions are never to be emulated by anyone. Other than punishing the offender, it also intends to reform the wrongdoer if possible.
Punishments for civil and criminal law
To conclude, while considering the aspects of criminal law vs civil law, a civil litigation usually involves some means of compensation for the victim for injuries or damages that he has suffered. Whereas, in criminal law, the offender or the defendant if found guilty receives a legal punishment like imprisonment or fines and in certain extreme cases even the death penalty.