What is the main purpose of criminal law compared with civil law?

Criminal law punishes conduct the state treats as a wrong against society as a whole, while civil law resolves disputes between individuals or organisations and puts the wronged party back in the position they should have been in.

Who usually brings a criminal case, and who brings a civil case?

A criminal case is usually brought by the state through the Crown Prosecution Service, while a civil case is brought by the claimant, the person who has suffered the wrong.

What are the parties called in a criminal case and in a civil case?

In a criminal case the prosecution brings the case against the defendant; in a civil case the claimant sues the defendant, 'claimant' having replaced 'plaintiff' under the Civil Procedure Rules 1998.

On whom does the burden of proof lie in a criminal trial, and to what standard?

The prosecution must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, so that the jury or magistrates are sure; Woolmington v DPP (1935) called the prosecution's duty to prove guilt the 'golden thread' of criminal law.

AQA A-Level Law 7162

The Nature of Law

Topic overview Distributive and Corrective Justice Theories of Justice: Rawls, Nozick and Marx What Law Does in Society How Law and Morality Are Enforced Moral Diversity in a Pluralist Society The Hart-Devlin Debate Procedural Justice and Utilitarianism The Rule of Law: Core Requirements Law, Rights and the Resolution of Disputes Fault and Strict Liability Where Law and Morality Overlap Wolfenden and R v Brown Aristotle on Justice Justice through Civil and Criminal Law Criminal and civil law compared Custom, statute and common law as sources Equality, Fairness and Clarity before the Law

The European Union and English Law

Topic overview The Institutions of the European Union Treaties, Regulations and Directives Supremacy and Direct Effect EU Law, Sovereignty and Preliminary References

Legal Personnel and the Judiciary

Topic overview Barristers and Solicitors The Role of Judges in Civil and Criminal Trials Rights of Audience and Legal Documentation The Judges and Their Courts Judicial Independence and Appointments

Access to Justice and Funding

Topic overview Advice Services and Private Funding Advice Agencies and Conditional Fee Agreements Criminal and Civil Legal Aid

Parliamentary Law Making

Topic overview Green Papers, White Papers and Royal Assent Parliamentary Supremacy and Its Limits Influences on Parliament

Delegated Legislation

Topic overview Delegated Legislation and Orders in Council Parliamentary Control of Delegated Legislation Advantages and Disadvantages of Delegated Legislation

Statutory Interpretation

Topic overview The Literal and Golden Rules The Mischief Rule and the Purposive Approach Intrinsic and Extrinsic Aids The Purposive Approach: Evaluation and European Influence Evaluating the Mischief Rule

Judicial Precedent

Topic overview Precedent and the Court Hierarchy Overruling, Distinguishing and Persuasive Precedent Advantages and Disadvantages of Precedent

Law Reform

Topic overview The Law Commission Codification and Consolidation The Law Commission's Reform Process

The Civil Courts and Dispute Resolution

Topic overview The Civil Courts and Their Jurisdiction Civil Appeals Tribunals and Alternative Dispute Resolution

The Criminal Courts and Sentencing

Topic overview Offence Classification and Criminal Appeals The Magistrates' Court and Its Jurisdiction Judge and Jury in the Crown Court Sentencing Aims and Types of Sentence

Lay People: Magistrates and Juries

Topic overview Who the Magistrates Are Jury Selection and Eligibility The Case for Trial by Jury Juries: Representation, Secrecy and Equity

Criminal Law: Rules and Theory

Topic overview Actus Reus, Mens Rea and Coincidence The Harm Principle and Autonomy

General Elements of Liability

Topic overview The External Element of a Crime Voluntariness and Causation Mens Rea, Strict Liability and Coincidence

Fatal Offences Against the Person

Topic overview The Elements of Murder Loss of Control Diminished Responsibility Unlawful Act and Gross Negligence Manslaughter

Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person

Topic overview Assault and Battery Words, Silence and Actual Bodily Harm Grievous Bodily Harm under Sections 18 and 20

Property Offences

Topic overview The Definition of Theft Property and Belonging to Another Dishonesty and the Ivey Test Permanent Deprivation and Robbery

Preliminary Offences

Topic overview Attempts

Criminal Defences

Topic overview Insanity and the M'Naghten Rules Wrongness, Burden of Proof and Automatism Intoxication, Specific and Basic Intent Self-Defence and the Prevention of Crime Duress and Its Limits

Tort: Rules and Theory

Topic overview The Areas of Tort Liability Duty of Care, Breach and Causation Secondary Victims and Occupiers' Liability Nuisance, Rylands v Fletcher and Tort Defences Damages and Injunctions in Tort Policy Limits on the Duty of Care Vicarious Liability: Justifications and Employment Status

Negligence

Topic overview Establishing a Duty of Care Breach of Duty and the Standard of Care Causation and Remoteness of Damage Pure Economic Loss Psychiatric Injury: Primary and Secondary Victims

Occupiers' Liability

Topic overview Occupiers, Premises and Lawful Visitors The Duty to Trespassers under the 1984 Act

Nuisance and Rylands v Fletcher

Topic overview Private Nuisance The Rule in Rylands v Fletcher

Vicarious Liability

Topic overview What Vicarious Liability Is Employment Status and the Close Connection Test

Tort: Defences and Remedies

Topic overview Contributory Negligence, Volenti and Other Defences Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Losses Injunctions as an Equitable Remedy

Contract: Rules and TheoryContract

Topic overview Freedom of Contract and Contract Formation Exemption Clauses and Contractual Remedies

Formation of a ContractContract

Topic overview Offer, Invitation to Treat and Acceptance Consideration, Privity and Legal Relations The Requirements of Offer and Acceptance The Postal Rule and Termination of Offers The Rules of Consideration Promissory Estoppel and Privity of Contract Intention to Create Legal Relations

Contract TermsContract

Topic overview Express and Implied Terms Conditions, Warranties and Their Remedies The Consumer Rights Act: Goods Exclusion and Limitation Clauses The Consumer Rights Act: Quality and Fitness The Consumer Rights Act: Services

Vitiating FactorsContract

Topic overview What Amounts to a Misrepresentation The Elements of an Actionable Misrepresentation Types of Misrepresentation and Remedies Economic Duress

Discharge of a ContractContract

Topic overview Discharge by Performance Remedies for Breach of Contract Performance, Actual and Anticipatory Breach Frustration of a Contract

Contract: RemediesContract

Topic overview Damages, Specific Performance and Rescission Termination and the Right to Reject

Human Rights: Rules and TheoryHuman rights

Topic overview Article 2 and Article 5: Life and Liberty Article 11 and the Conditions for Restriction Rights, Liberties and Correlative Duties The Scope of Fundamental Human Rights Article 2 Exceptions and the Article 5 Guarantee Interfering with Article 8 Rights Article 10: Freedom of Expression and Its Limits The Human Rights Act and Categories of Rights

Human Rights in International and UK LawHuman rights

Topic overview The Origins of International Human Rights The Convention in UK Law before 1998 The Human Rights Act 1998 Criticisms of Human Rights Law

The European Convention ArticlesHuman rights

Topic overview Freedom of Association and Its Limits Article 2: Justified Deprivation of Life Article 5: Lawful Arrest and Detention Article 8: Private and Family Life Article 11: What It Protects Article 2: Negative and Positive Obligations The Article 2.2 Exceptions in Detail Article 5.1: Liberty and Security of Person Detention under Article 5.1(a) to (c)Article 5.2 to 5.5: Information and Review Article 10.1: Freedom of Expression Which Paragraphs Permit Restriction The Grounds for Lawful Detention Enforcing Rights in Strasbourg and by Judicial Review

Restrictions and EnforcementHuman rights

Topic overview The Common Requirements for Restrictions Legitimate Aims and Proportionality Bringing a Claim to the Strasbourg Court Article 46, Judicial Review and Section 7 Claims Prescribed by Law and Necessary in a Democracy Legitimate Aims for Restricting Articles 10 and 11 Enforcement in Strasbourg and at Home The Two General Conditions for Restriction Legitimate Aims across Articles 8, 10 and 11 Who May Claim and How Rights Are Enforced Supervising Judgments and Judicial Review Remedies

Reform of Human Rights LawHuman rights

Topic overview Replacing the Human Rights Act A British Bill of Rights

Human Rights and English LawHuman rights

Topic overview The Right to Life in English Law Protective Policing and the Osman Test Deprivation of Liberty in English Law Privacy in English Law Expression, Assembly and Association in English Law

The Nature of Law

Criminal and civil law compared

3 things to know
All three papers

Overview

How criminal and civil law differ in purpose, parties, case names, the burden and standard of proof, courts and outcomes, including private prosecutions and conduct that leads to both kinds of proceedings, as in Ashley v Chief Constable of Sussex Police.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Process

How are civil cases named in England and Wales?

Process

Which courts hear criminal cases at first instance, and which hear civil cases?

Process

How are criminal cases named in England and Wales?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is the main purpose of criminal law compared with civil law?
Model answer
Criminal law punishes conduct the state treats as a wrong against society as a whole, while civil law resolves disputes between individuals or organisations and puts the wronged party back in the position they should have been in.
2
Who usually brings a criminal case, and who brings a civil case?
Model answer
A criminal case is usually brought by the state through the Crown Prosecution Service, while a civil case is brought by the claimant, the person who has suffered the wrong.
3
What are the parties called in a criminal case and in a civil case?
Model answer
In a criminal case the prosecution brings the case against the defendant; in a civil case the claimant sues the defendant, 'claimant' having replaced 'plaintiff' under the Civil Procedure Rules 1998.
4
How are criminal cases named in England and Wales?
Model answer
As R v the defendant, where R stands for Rex or Regina, the Crown in whose name the prosecution is brought; for example R v Woollin (1998).
5
How are civil cases named in England and Wales?
Model answer
By the names of the parties, claimant first and defendant second; for example Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co (1893).
6
On whom does the burden of proof lie in a criminal trial, and to what standard?
Model answer
The prosecution must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, so that the jury or magistrates are sure; Woolmington v DPP (1935) called the prosecution's duty to prove guilt the 'golden thread' of criminal law.

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