Criminal and Civil Law

What is Criminal and Civil Law?

Within Economics & Civics, which covers money, markets, business, government, law and citizenship: how societies are organised and run, this topic explains Criminal and Civil Law. Economics and civics topics explain how money, markets, laws and government affect people, so each topic here pairs a clear definition with a model.

Check that you can explain Criminal and Civil Law in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.

Understanding Criminal and Civil Law helps you read the news critically and weigh up policies, choices and arguments about society.

Criminal and Civil Law in detail

Criminal law deals with offences against the state or society, such as theft, assault and murder, and cases are brought by the state (the Crown Prosecution Service) against the accused. The standard of proof is "beyond reasonable doubt", and punishments include fines, community sentences and prison.

Civil law deals with disputes between individuals or organisations, such as contracts, family matters, property and negligence, and the person bringing the case (claimant) seeks a remedy such as compensation. The standard of proof is "on the balance of probabilities". The same event can lead to both kinds of case. The two systems have different courts, procedures and aims.

How the interactive helps you understand Criminal and Civil Law

Click a card to flip it and reveal the answer, then move on to the next one.

Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Criminal and Civil Law.

Real-life uses and examples

• Relate Criminal and Civil Law to a news story about prices, jobs, elections or government spending.
• Use Criminal and Civil Law to weigh up the pros and costs of a policy or decision.
• Explain Criminal and Civil Law to a classmate using a choice you make yourself, such as spending pocket money.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Giving an opinion without evidence or a clear economic or civic reason.
• Confusing a short-term effect with a long-term one.
• Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.