Legal Definitions - civilis

The term civilis is an adjective used to describe something that pertains to or is governed by civil law. In the legal system, civil law generally refers to the body of rules that address private rights, obligations, and disputes between individuals, organizations, or even governments, as distinct from criminal law, which deals with offenses against the state or society.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of the term:

• Example 1: A small business, "Artisan Crafts," sues its supplier, "Global Materials," for failing to deliver a crucial shipment of raw materials on time, leading to significant financial losses for Artisan Crafts. Artisan Crafts seeks compensation for these losses.

  Explanation: This situation is considered civilis because it involves a dispute over a breach of contract and financial damages between two private entities. The legal action falls under civil law, aiming to resolve the private grievance and provide a remedy (like monetary compensation) rather than to punish a criminal offense.

• Example 2: Two neighbors are in disagreement over the exact boundary line between their properties, with one neighbor claiming the other has built a fence several feet onto their land. They decide to take the matter to court to resolve the property line dispute.

  Explanation: This is a civilis matter because it concerns private property rights and a disagreement between individuals about their respective entitlements to land. The court's role in this context is to interpret property deeds and establish the correct boundary under civil law, not to address a criminal act.

• Example 3: Following a slip-and-fall incident at a grocery store, a customer suffers an injury and files a lawsuit against the store, alleging that the store's negligence in cleaning up a spill caused their fall and subsequent medical expenses.

  Explanation: This scenario is civilis because it involves a claim of personal injury due to alleged negligence, which is a tort – a type of civil wrong. The lawsuit seeks to hold the store accountable for its private duty of care and to compensate the injured customer for their losses, rather than to impose criminal penalties on the store.