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Law vocabulary · Legal Systems & Sources of Law

Civil law

Meaning in law, with examples

nounCommon term

In law, civil law means: A legal system based mainly on written codes, used in most of continental Europe, Latin America and Turkey; also the area of law that deals with private disputes rather than crimes.

In Turkish: Kıta Avrupası hukuku, medeni hukuk, özel hukuk

How it is used

The meaning depends on context. Compared with 'common law', it means the code-based tradition. Compared with 'criminal law', it means private law matters such as contracts, property and family disputes.

Example sentences

  1. Turkey has a civil law system strongly influenced by Swiss law.

  2. This is a civil law matter, so the police will not get involved.

Common collocations

  • civil law system
  • civil law countries
  • civil law tradition
  • civil law matter
  • common lawThe legal system that developed in England and is used in countries such as the US, Canada and Australia, where court decisions are a main source of law; also the judge-made rules themselves.
  • statuteA written law passed by a parliament or another law-making body, as opposed to rules that come from court decisions.
  • legislationLaws as a group, especially those made by a parliament; also the process of making these laws.
  • case lawLaw that comes from the decisions of courts rather than from statutes; the body of earlier judgments that judges and lawyers rely on.

More terms: Legal Systems & Sources of Law

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.