civil law (domestic)

A branch of law regulating relationships between private citizens, in contrast to criminal law, administrative law, military law, and ecclesiastical law. An aggrieved person must generally initiate proceedings personally in order to obtain a remedy. In a narrower sense, it refers to domestic law, seen in contrast with international law.

Civil law may refer to:

Civil law (common law), the area of law in common law countries governing relations between private individuals; In this usage the term divides the relevant area of law from criminal law and other areas of public law. A civil code is a systematic compilation of civil law in core areas of private law in common law countries. Civil law (legal system), a system of law based on the Corpus Juris Civilis prevalent in continental Europe, Central and South America, South Africa, Scotland, Quebec and Louisiana.