Life in the UK Test
Sign in
Back to The UK Government, the Law and Your Role

Civil and criminal law

Study note

The law in the UK is divided into two broad types: criminal law and civil law. Criminal law deals with crimes, the kinds of wrongdoing that are usually investigated by the police and punished by the courts. Examples of criminal matters include theft, violence, carrying a weapon and selling illegal drugs. Serious offences such as murder are also criminal.

Civil law is different. It settles disputes between individual people or organisations, rather than punishing crimes. Common civil matters include disagreements over money, an unpaid debt, problems between a landlord and a tenant, faulty goods, and employment disputes such as unfair dismissal. For the test, the key is to sort a situation correctly. A dispute over a debt or a fence between neighbours is civil, while theft, violence, weapons and illegal drugs are dealt with by criminal law.

Memory tip: Criminal law = crimes (theft, violence); civil law = disputes (money, property).

Practise this topic

Question 1 of 5

Which of these is dealt with by criminal law?

Score so far: 0 / 0
Show all questions and answers for Civil and criminal law(5 questions with explanations)

Civil and criminal law: questions, answers and explanations

  1. 1. Which of these is dealt with by criminal law?

    • A dispute over a debt
    • A disagreement between neighbours over a fence
    • Theft and violence
    • A broken business contract

    Correct answer: Theft and violence

    Criminal law deals with crimes such as theft and violence; civil law handles disputes.

  2. 2. A disagreement between two people over money would usually be dealt with by which type of law?

    • Criminal law
    • Church law
    • Civil law
    • Military law

    Correct answer: Civil law

    Civil law settles disputes between people or organisations, such as over money.

  3. 3. Criminal law deals with crimes such as theft and violence.

    • True
    • False

    Correct answer: True

    True. Criminal law covers crimes such as theft and violence; civil law handles disputes.

  4. 4. Which of these statements is correct?

    • Civil law deals with serious crimes such as murder
    • Civil law settles disputes between people or organisations

    Correct answer: Civil law settles disputes between people or organisations

    Civil law settles disputes; serious crimes such as murder fall under criminal law.

  5. 5. Which of these is NOT dealt with by criminal law?

    • Carrying a weapon
    • Selling illegal drugs
    • A dispute over an unpaid debt
    • Theft

    Correct answer: A dispute over an unpaid debt

    A debt dispute is a civil matter; theft, weapons and illegal drugs are criminal.

Back to The UK Government, the Law and Your Role, or try a mock test or timed exam.