Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Civil: In law, "civil" means conflicts between private individuals or entities, like companies, rather than crimes committed against society. For example, if two people disagree about a contract or if someone is hurt by another person's actions, it's a civil matter. Civil law is the set of rules that govern these types of disputes. Civil remedies are ways to fix the problem, like paying money or stopping a harmful action. Civil rights are the rights that every person has to be treated fairly and equally.
Definition: In law, "civil" refers to conflicts between private individuals or entities, as opposed to criminal cases where the government punishes someone for breaking the law. For example, a civil case could involve a dispute over a contract or a tort (a wrongful act that causes harm to someone). Some common uses of the term "civil" in law include:
For example, if two people have a disagreement over a contract, they might file a civil lawsuit to resolve the issue. The court would follow civil procedure rules to conduct the case, and if one person is found to have breached the contract, they may be ordered to pay civil damages to the other person. This is an example of civil liability and civil remedies.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) | civil action