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Examples of civil law

Study note

Civil law deals with disputes between individual people or organisations, rather than with crimes. The aim is usually to settle the disagreement and put things right, not to punish someone with a criminal record. Knowing some typical examples will help you tell civil matters apart from criminal ones in the test.

Common civil law matters include disagreements between landlords and tenants over housing, disputes about faulty goods or poor services, employment cases such as unfair dismissal, and people who owe money being taken to court over a debt. By contrast, things like murder or carrying a weapon are criminal, not civil. For the test, link housing, consumer rights, employment and debt disputes with civil law.

Memory tip: Civil law: housing, consumer rights, employment, and debt disputes.

Practise this topic

Question 1 of 1 · choose two

Select TWO matters that are dealt with under civil law.

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Show all questions and answers for Examples of civil law(1 question with explanations)

Examples of civil law: questions, answers and explanations

  1. 1. Select TWO matters that are dealt with under civil law.

    • A murder
    • A dispute over an unpaid debt
    • Carrying a weapon
    • An unfair dismissal at work

    Correct answer: A dispute over an unpaid debt and An unfair dismissal at work

    Debt disputes and unfair dismissal are civil law matters; murder and weapons are criminal.

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