UNIT 2
Kinds of Laws
1.Put each word under the correct area of law
Loss to recover damages lawsuit negligence violate wrong felony
consumer protection term divorce injure assault conduct offense
imprison to award
Civil law Criminal law
Reading task
Types of laws
2. Before reading the text guess the words that mean “legal
action”
L_ _ _ _ _ t L_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ n S_ _ t
Laws fall into two major groups: criminal and civil. Criminal laws
regulate public conduct and set out duties owed to society. A criminal
case is a legal action by the government against a person charged with
committing a crime. Criminal laws have penalties requiring that offenders
be imprisoned, fined, placed under supervision, or punished in some
other way. Criminal offenses are divided into felonies and
misdemeanors. The maximum penalty for a felony is a term of more than
one year in prison. For misdemeanor the penalty is prison term of one
year or less.
Civil laws regulate relations between individuals or groups of
individuals. A civil action (lawsuit) can be brought when one person feels
wronged or injured by another person. Courts may award the injured
person money for his or her loss, or it may order the person who
committed the wrong to make amends in some other way. An example of
civil action is a lawsuit for recovery of damages suffered in an automobile
accident. Civil laws regulate many everyday situations such as marriage,
divorce, contracts, insurance, consumer protection, and negligence.
Sometimes one action can violate both civil and criminal law. For
example, if Anvar beats up Nodir, he may have to pay Nodir’s medical
bills under civil law and may be charged with the crime of assault under
criminal law.
3. Match the words in column
A with the definitions in
column B
Column A Column B
1. criminal a) case in a law court
2. civil b) of people living together
3. conduct c) major serious crime
4. society d) punishment
5. penalty e) social way of living
6. misdemeanor f) person who commits a crime or
crimes
7. felony g) carelessness
8. offense h) offence which is less serious
than a felony
9. lawsuit i)an act or omission punishable
under the criminal law
10. negligence j) lead or guide
4. As you read the following text note the difference between
criminal and civil laws. Note the meanings of the highlighted words
How do Criminal and Civil Laws differ?
When the private legal rights of an individual are violated,
the matter is governed by civil law. It applies whenever
one person has a right to sue another person. An example
of such a situation is when a tenant fails to pay the rent.
The police will not investigate civil conflicts.
When a person violates certain duties to society and
disturbs public peace and order, the violation is governed
by criminal law. The government, acting in the name of
all the people, investigates, prosecutes, and tries to fine or
imprison the alleged wrongdoer.
Generally, when a crime occurs, private rights of the
individual victim are violated at the same time. Thus, the
civil law may also apply. The victim of the crime may,
therefore, sue the wrongdoer but seldom does because it
is usually difficult to collect damages from criminals.
The difference between civil law and criminal law turns on
the difference between two different objects which law
seeks to pursue - redress or punishment. The object of
civil law is the redress of wrongs by compelling
compensation or restitution: the wrongdoer is not
punished; he only suffers so much harm as it is necessary
to make good the wrong he has done. The person who has
suffered gets a definite benefit from the law, or at least he
avoids a loss. On the other hand, in the case of crimes, the
main object of the law is to punish the wrongdoer; to give
him and others a strong inducement not to commit same
or similar crimes, to reform him if possible and perhaps to
satisfy the public sense that wrongdoing ought to meet
with retribution.
5. Fill in the following chart using examples to describe the difference
between criminal and civil laws
Criminal law Civil law
features example features example
