Civil Law

Civil [[law]] makes for a civil society.

Civil law provides a default framework for interactions between people (including abstract entities treated in some aspects as people). A subset of civil law, [[contract law]], provides a mechanism for modifying that default framework.

Generally speaking, civil law:

• Provides compensation for damages ([[tort law]])
• Settles ownership disputes ([[property law]])
• Regulates behavior ([[regulatory law]])
• Controls the government ([[government law]])
• Funds the government ([[tax law]])

These are not distinct classes, but rather themes. Sometimes a legal area combines multiple types of law under a single heading.

For example, [[intellectual property law]] describes how intellectual property is created, establishes an initial owner, and specifies how damages may be recovered for misuse. These kinds of issues relate to both [[property law]] and [[tort law]].

And [[tort law]] can be viewed as private means to regulate behavior, as opposed to [[regulatory law]] where the government is directly responsible for enforcement. The two futher intermingle when the government provides a [[private right of action]] to enforce a primarily regulatory provision.

[[Jury instructions]] are a great way to learn about disputes that often find their way into court.