Definition

Civil law refers to public legal systems in which the law is developed through written instruments.

Discussion

The term “civil law” sometimes means, and often in the United States, private law. It is also distinct from the term “civil jurisprudence”, which is used to refer to the academic discpiline concerned with positive law.

Civil law is in contrast to common law, whereby law is derived from court decisions rather than solely from written code.

In civil law courts are tasked with applying the written codes using general principles and abstractions.