Tort Law vs Criminal Law
The distinction between tort law and criminal law is not difficult to comprehend. Many people have a relatively good understanding of what constitutes tort law and what constitutes criminal law. Initially, we can recognize that both involve an act of wrongdoing. Tort originates from the Latin word ‘Tortus’, which means wrong. A crime also denotes a wrong, a very serious one. Despite the fact that both recognize and declare certain acts as wrongful and therefore unacceptable, there is a difference. This difference lies in the types of wrongful acts that fall within the purview of each body of law.
What is Tort Law?
A tort refers to a civil wrong, meaning that tort law is dealt with in a civil proceeding. Tort law encompasses situations in which harm has been caused to a person or property. Typically, the person who suffered harm initiates an action in a civil court against the person who caused the harm. Moreover, in a case involving tort law, the person who suffered injury sues the party at fault in order to obtain relief or compensation for the injury. Compensation under tort law is typically awarded in the form of damages, which can include damages for loss of earnings, property, pain or suffering, financial, or medical expenses.
Tort law can be thought of as an avenue through which the aggrieved party seeks compensation of a financial nature for the loss they experienced. Examples of torts include negligence, defamation, liability for defects in products, nuisance, or economic torts. Negligence revolves around the duty of care and the failure to exercise a duty of care in a particular instance, such as causing a motor accident.
Tort law typically constitutes three categories of torts: intentional torts, where a person had fair knowledge that their action would cause harm; strict liability torts, which by their very definition exclude the degree of care exercised by the guilty party and instead focus solely on the physical aspect of the action, such as the harm caused; and negligent torts, which involve the unreasonableness of a guilty party’s actions.
What is Criminal Law?
Criminal law encompasses the world of crime and is defined as a wrong arising from the violation of a public duty. Criminal law can be thought of as dealing with wrongful acts that affect society or the public collectively, in the sense that it disrupts the peace and order of society. This contrasts with tort law, which deals specifically with wrongful acts that affect an individual personally. Criminal law is a body of law that regulates the conduct of society and ensures the protection of citizens by punishing those who do not act in accordance with such law. The crimes of murder, arson, rape, robbery, and burglary are crimes that affect society as a whole.
In contrast to tort law, a criminal proceeding results in either imprisonment, the death penalty, or the imposition of a fine. There is no compensation paid to the victim of the crime. However, there are occasions when a victim, that is the person injured, will sue for compensation separately in a civil proceeding. For example, a crime such as assault or battery can also fall within the confines of tort law if the victim seeks financial compensation. In criminal law, the emphasis is placed mostly on the severity and effect of the guilty party’s actions rather than the injuries of the victim. However, in tort law, emphasis is placed on the harm or loss suffered by the victim.
Key Takeaways
- Tort law refers to a civil wrong and is more personal in nature, while criminal law refers to crimes committed against society.
- The focus of tort law lies mainly on the nature of the victim’s loss and harm, while criminal law focuses on the actions of the guilty party.
- In tort law, the guilty party will have to pay compensation, whereas in a case involving criminal law, the guilty party will either have to pay a fine or be imprisoned for a specific period.
