The difference between civil and criminal law in Victoria

Criminal law vs civil lawCriminal Law means the State brings the action. This is where you are punished for illegal behaviour, and the standard of proof is ‘beyond reasonable doubt’.

Civil Law means an individual or ‘plaintiff’ brings the action. A dispute, say, between two people, where the end result is the awarding of damages (money, usually), or the stopping of a certain behaviour. The standard of proof is ‘the balance of probabilities’.

We have split our site up into Family Law and Civil Law, even though Family Law is actually Civil Law. Family Law is a big area that deserves its own section.

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