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Law - 2 Branches

There are two main branches of law that operate in society. The first set of laws regulates people’s behaviour with other individuals. It is known as private law. The second broad area of law regulates people’s behaviour within society as a whole. In general terms, public law involves interrelations between the state and the general population, whereas private law involves interactions between private citizens. Another way of categorising the law is to divide it into Civil and Criminal law.
Civil law, which is part of private law, are the laws relevant to non-criminal matters. This includes issues such as disputes between neighbours, business partners, friends, consumers and retailers, marriages, or between an individual and a government department. Some examples of civil wrongs include trespass, negligence and nuisance. For instance, if a car crash victim claims damages against the driver for loss or injury incurred in an accident, this will be a Civil Law case. The offended person, called the Plaintiff, goes to court to prove the offender, called the Defendant, has crashed their car against their own. If the civil wrong is successfully proven in court, the victim will seek money as compensation.
Criminal law, which is part of public law, is that body of law involving the state against individuals where the state relies on the power given it by statutory law. For example, if a person is convicted of robbing a bank, the matter does not remain between the bank and the individual. Instead, the action is regarded as an offence to the state. The bank will not take the person to court, instead, the police or the government representatives will. They will be the ones that prosecute the offender.
Depending on the offense and jurisdiction, different punishments are imposed. Capital punishment or corporal punishment may be carried out in some jurisdictions. Offenders may be incarcerated in prison in a variety of conditions, including solitary confinement, and minimum...