Differences between Criminal Law and Civil Law

Last updated on April 24, 2011

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Swipe -> to learn more about the differences between civil law and criminal law! ? – In the image about civil law, it’s mentioned that cases are proven based on a “balance of probabilities”. In other words, one party’s claims just have to be more likely to be true, rather than not. ? This is a much lower standard than that required in criminal cases, as the accused must be proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. ? – It’s also important to remember that the police don’t get involved in civil cases. ?‍♂️? It’s for this reason that the police will decline to help you for civil matters, and suggest that you approach a lawyer instead. – There’s still a lot more to the law apart from what we’ve covered in this post so keep following us as we share more about the law with you! ? And if you ever need to find a lawyer, there’s always the link in our bio ?#SingaporeLegalAdvice

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Generally speaking, the criminal law is concerned with offences of public interest. Hence, for criminal cases, offenders are usually charged in the name of the public prosecutor, who represents the state. The major statute that concerns the criminal law in Singapore is the Penal Code.

Civil law, on the other hand, refers to private law, which is concerned with private disputes between individual parties. The police do not get involved.

Civil law includes several areas of law, among them contract law and tort law. It is mainly used to claim compensation for harm, loss or injury to the person or to property.

The standard of proof for criminal cases and civil cases is different. For criminal cases, the standard of proof is much higher and the prosecution must prove that accused is guilty “beyond reasonable doubt”. For civil cases, the case only has to be proved “on the balance of probabilities”, i.e. that it is more probable than not.