Explain the differences between Civil and Criminal law with respect to the role of the State and civil and criminal liability.

This essay hasn't yet been marked by one of our teachers

You can view 8 essays on Law that have been Marked by Teachers

The first 200 words of this essay...

Assignment 2.

Explain the differences between Civil and Criminal law with respect to the role of the State and civil and criminal liability.

Law covers a huge amount of different areas. For this reason, it is split into its two main categories of Civil and Criminal law. Each of these covers different aspects of the law. The differences between these types of law lie not in the actual conduct or acts that have caused the need for the law to become involved, but rather in the legal consequences that are to come of this conduct.

Criminal law is a sub-division of public law, meaning that always it involves the State or government in some way. Criminal law states which behaviour the State finds to be unacceptable in society and is forbidden at the risk of punishment. The purpose of criminal law is to maintain law and order in our society. It involves the State as the prosecuting party and one or more individuals as the defendants accused of a crime. The State either through the police or the Crown Prosecution Service always starts criminal cases. The purpose of a criminal trial is to find whether