civil justice
Courts resolving disputes
Civil justice is the branch of the legal system that handles disputes between individuals, organizations, or entities—as opposed to criminal justice, which prosecutes offenses against the state.
Civil justice covers lawsuits over contracts, property, personal injury, family matters, and similar claims.
The goal is typically compensation or resolution rather than punishment: The civil justice system awarded damages to the victim.
- lawyerLicensed legal representative
- legal representationAttorney acting on behalf
- judgeOne who decides
- day in courtChance to present one's case
- legal aidFree attorney services
pro bono services · pro se · court fees · filing deadline · mediation · due process · fairness · equity · small claims court · plaintiff · tort law · contract law · statutes · discovery · burden of proof · expert witness · litigation · adjudication
civil justicecriminal justice
State apparatus for prosecuting offenders
criminal law · criminal prosecution · criminal proceedings · criminal court · criminal liability
civil justicevigilante justice
Unauthorized punishment by civilians
mob justice · lawlessness · lynch law · frontier justice · taking the law into one's own hands
civil justicejudicial corruption
Dishonest conduct by judges
miscarriage of justice · kangaroo court · show trial · access denied