Civil Law is the body of the law that deals with agreements between individuals, and their rights and duties with respect to one another. In contrast to Criminal Law, which deals with the punishment of those found guilty of offences, Civil Law attempt to resolve disputes by providing compensation for injury. As with Criminal Law, Civil Law varies considerably according to jurisdiction. Masters courses that specialise in Civil Law (usually LLMs) are highly specialised, and provide students with an expert understanding of areas such as tort and chancery. These topics are highly valued in many commercial sectors – such as real estate and insurance – as well as lending themselves to law firms that specialise in areas like personal injury. These commercial applications make Civil Law an attractive field for Masters study.
