Civil Law and Common Law

Civil law relates to the law as it applies to disputes between individuals, corporations or other legal entities.  Common law is the "filling in of the gaps" of written law by a court or jury with their belief of what is commonly thought of as right by the community when adjudicating a dispute between parties.  After a judge or jury makes a common law ruling, that ruling can be used as a reference as to how to settle future, similar cases.  This is often referred to as "case law".

In a civil court, charges are brought by one or more parties against one or more other parties.  After a period of "discovery" where both parties discover and share the facts concerning the charges, the dispute goes to trial either before a judge or a jury.  The facts are then presented by both sides and the judge or jury determines if there is fault and what the remedy shall be.  More often than not, the remedy in a civil trial is a monetary reward.

Unlike a criminal trial, either party to a civil trail may appeal the decision to a higher court.  Depending upon the basis for the appeal, the appellate court may or may not decide to review the case.

Civil Law and Common Law Best Sellers from Amazon.com

The Common Law
by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers
Amazon Price:
 

Divorce For Dummies
by John Ventura, Mary Reed
Amazon Price: $13.59
Customer Review: I got this book for a college course on divorce and find it to be an easy and interesting read that clearly and concisely explains information that might otherwise be cloudy and confusing to anyone without a law degree. It also gives good advice to a...
 

An Introduction to the Angloamerican Legal System Readings and Cases: Reading...
by Edgar Bodenheimer, John B. Oakley, Jean C. Love
Amazon Price: $68.00
 

Law's Empire
by Ronald Dworkin
Amazon Price: $24.70
Customer Review: Friends from Amazon,

A enjoy very much buying items with you guys. You have a long catalog, and deliver items quickly.
It happened with all the recent items i've bought.
But with the book Law's Empire, the person who has deli...
 

The Founders' Second Amendment: Origins of the Right to Bear Arms
by Stephen P. Halbrook
Amazon Price: $19.11
Customer Review: I tried hard to like this. I am very interested in the subject matter, and with all the positive reviews thought this would be a great read. It was just not done in an interesting way. I find it hard to believe that all the people who reviewed it ...
 

Newsfeed display by CaRP

Civil Law and Common Law News
GN News

• Justice Richard Sanders, As Usual, Draws Fire From Two Election Opponents Se...
Seattle TimesJustice Richard Sanders, as usual, draws fire from two election opponentsSeattle TimesWhile most of his experience is in civil law, he has done some criminal work, he said. He also has served as a substitute judge in King and Jefferson and more raquo
• Settler Violence Flares In West Bank National
Settler violence flares in West BankNationalIsraelis are arrested and tried under civil law, with its presumption of innocence. Palestinians, therefore, remain sceptical that, beyond a few isolated and more raquo
• County Commission, Judicial Candidates Answer Questions Arkansas City Traveler
County Commission, judicial candidates answer questionsArkansas City Traveler probate, including descendents39 estates, adoptions, guardianships, and conservatorships juvenile law civil law including contracts and real estate and more raquo
• Chinaaposs New Tort Law Comes Into Effect Lexology Registration
China39s new tort law comes into effectLexology registrationThe Law39s contents are mostly from existing laws concerning tort liabilities, such as the General Principles of the Civil Law, the Consumer Protection Act,
• The Independent Weekly Line On Durango And Beyond Durango Telegraph
Durango TelegraphThe Independent Weekly Line on Durango and BeyondDurango TelegraphBaxter is now back in Durango and incubating a private practice, mostly civil law the bread and butter for lawyers and picking up the occasional and more raquo