1. Civil Law

2. Civil Law Jurisdiction The legal relationship between individuals An avenue for settling disputes between individuals Remedies for wrong against individuals, rather than punishment or retribution for wrongs against society however - “punitive” damages are sometimes awarded

3. Civil Law also known as PRIVATE LAW In most of Canada, Civil Law is based primarily upon the system of common law, although civil statutes have been developed by provincial jurisdictions as governments deem then necessary for the public good. for example statutes dealing with family law and divorce

4. Purpose of Civil Law The main purpose of civil law is to compensate individuals for wrongs committed to them. Claims can include: injuries to an individual resulting from accidents damages to property or reputation divorce child custody and support adoption unpaid debts failure to pay for work

5. Categories of Civil Law There are two main categories of civil law : civil law contracts torts.

6. Contract Law A contract is an agreement between two people, usually in a written form. Contracts are formal agreements that impose rights and responsibilities on the parties involved which are enforceable by law.

7. Parts of Contract an offer and acceptance consideration capacity consent lawful purpose

8. Obligations of Parties The law and obligations of the parties involved with a contract are fairly cut and dry. Examples of contracts would include: Jordan is hired by a grocery store to stock shelves for $8.00/hour. He does so, but the store refuses to pay Jordan for the work he provided. Devon buys a stereo, agreeing to pay for it in 12 equal monthly payments. He makes the first three, but then fails to make the remaining monthly payments

9. ACTIVITY Pick one of the two situations above. Identify: What was the agreement between the two parties? What were their rights and responsibilities? Was there an offer and an acceptance? Were they capable of meeting their obligations? Did they consent to these obligations? Were these lawful purposes? Is the agreement fuzzy or cut and dry?

10. TORTS Torts are not like contracts. In a tort there is no underlying agreement that establishes the rights and responsibilities between two parties. Torts are the act of omission (failure to do something) or the act of commission (doing something you should not) that causes harm.

11. Torts Torts are informal occurrences that deal with wrongs or injuries inflicted upon one party by another, outside of the context of a formal relationship or contract. Therefore, liability does not come from an agreed upon set of rights and responsibilities such as those defined in a contract, but rather from the law itself. In torts, the parties involved are strangers according to the law. The only reason they are brought together is the misfortune which resulted in the tort action. For example, I may not have very much to do with my neighbour until my son puts a rock through her bay window.

12. Examples of Torts Examples of torts could include: Susan is struck by a reckless driver and suffers a loss of income because she can not attend work due to injuries. The city fails to care properly for a public swing set and a child is injured as a result.

13. Categories of Torts Torts fall within three categories of subdivision. They include: negligence intentional torts strict liability

14. Reflection Why do we not sue someone each time that we have been wronged? for example: why do I not sue the dry cleaner for ruining my blouse? What is the relationship between tort law and violence in sports? What factors do the courts consider when awarding damages for pain and suffering?