Legal english 1 - Introduction to the law

THE LEGAL SYSTEM

The Structure of the Law

The legal system in the United Kingdom.

The study of law distinguishes between public law and private law, but in legal practice
in the UK the distinction between civil law and criminal law is more important to
practising lawyers. Public law relates to the state. It is concerned with the laws which govern processes in local and national governments and conflicts between the individual and the state in areas such as immigration and social security.
Private law is concerned with the relationships between legal persons, that is, individuals and corporations, and includes family law, contract law and property law.

Criminal law deals with certain forms of conduct for which the state reserves punishment, for example murder and theft. The state prosecutes the offender.

Civil law concerns relationships between private persons, their rights, and their duties. It is also concerned with conduct which may give rise to a claim by a legal person for compensation or an injunction (an order made by the court). However, each field of law tends to overlap with others. For example, a road accident case may lead to a criminal prosecution as well as a civil action for compensation.

Substantive law creates, defines or regulates rights, liabilities, and duties in all areas of law and is contrasted with procedural law, which defines the procedure by which a law is to be enforced.