ABSTRACT
Heard by judge (sometimes by a jury) Judgment = ‘For the claimant’/ ‘for the defendant’
Some branches of civil law: land law, employment law, company law and the law of tort
C IV
IL C
O U
RT S
Regulates behaviour, determines
guilt, imposes penalty Defendant is prosecuted by
the state through Crown Prosecution Service
Heard in Magistrates’ Court/Crown Court
at first instance
Standard: beyond reasonable doubt Criminal law
Decisions made by magistrates or jury
Judgment = Guilty/not guilty R (the State) v (spoken:
‘against’) defendant
Sentences include imprisonment/fines/community sentences (compensation can also be awarded)
Workpoint
In each of the following short scenarios outline whether or not the case would be criminal or civil or both and then state:
• Who would bring the case.
