The term criminal law, sometimes called penal law, refers to any of various bodies of rules in different jurisdictions

whose common characteristic is the potential for unique and often severe impositions as punishment for failure to comply. Criminal punishment, depending on the offense and jurisdiction, may include execution, loss of liberty, government supervision (parole or probation), or fines. There are some archetypal crimes, li e murder, but the acts that are forbidden are not wholly consistent between different criminal codes, and even within a particular code lines may be blurred as civil infractions may give rise also to criminal consequences. Criminal law typically is enforced by the government, unli e the civil law, which may be enforced by private parties. Private law (Civil law) is that part of a legal system that involves relationships between individuals. This includes the law of contracts or torts and the law of obligations. !t is distinguished from public law, which deals with law involving the state, including regulatory statutes, penal law and other law of public order. !n general terms, public law involves interrelations between the state and the general population, whereas private law involves interactions between private citi"ens. The concept of private law in common law countries is a little more broad, in that it also encompasses private relationships between governments and private individuals or other entities. That is, relationships between governments and individuals based on the law of contract or torts are governed by private law, and are not considered to be within the scope of public law.

#nother, more specific meaning of private law is a private bill enacted into law. # private law, in this sense, is a law enacted to be applied to a specific individual or corporation, as opposed to public law, which has a broader application and affects the general public.$%& 'xamples( $)&.

Areas in private law

Civil law o Contract law or law of obligations o *aw of torts o *aw of property o +amily law family,related issues and domestic relations including, but not limited to marriage, civil unions, divorce, spousal abuse, child custody and visitation, property, alimony, and child support awards, as well as child abuse issues, and adoption. o -uccession law *abour law Commercial law Corporations law Competition law

Public law is a theory of law governing the relationship between individuals (citi"ens, companies) and the state. .nder this theory, Constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law are sub,divisions of public law. This theory is at odds with the concept of Constitutional law, which requires all law to be specifically enabled, and thereby sub,divisions, of a Constitution. /enerally spea ing, private law is the area of law in a society that affects the relationships between individuals or groups without the intervention of the state or government. !n many cases the public0private law distinction is confounded by laws that regulate private relations while having been passed by legislative enactment. !n some cases these public statutes are nown as laws of public order, as private individuals do not have the right to brea them and any attempt to circumvent such laws is void as against public policy.

Areas of public law

Constitutional law deals with the relationship between the state and individual, and the relationships between different branches of the state, such as the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. !n most legal systems, these relationships are specified within a written constitutional document. 1owever, in the .nited 2ingdom of /reat 3ritain and 4orthern !reland (.2), due to historical and political reasons there does not exist one supreme, entrenched written document. The .2 has an unwritten constitution5the constitution of this state is usually found in statutes, such as the 6agna Carta (see 1olt, 7.C., Magna Carta, )nd edition %88)), the 9etition of :ight, the 3ill of :ights, The #ct of -ettlement %;<< and the 9arliament #ct %8%% and 9arliament #ct %8=8. The constitution is also found in case,law, such as the historical decision in Entick v. Carrington (%;>?) %8 -t Tr %<@<, and the landmar decision of M v. Home Office (%88=) % #C @;;A (%88)) B3 );<. Cue to the lac of a written constitution, the idea of the legislative supremacy of 9arliament and the rule of law play an important role in the constitution (see #. D. Cicey, The Law of the Constitution (ed. '. C. -. Eade), %<th edition, %8?8). Cespite all this, in reality, much of the constitution is a political phenomenon, rather than a legal one. Administrative law refers to the body of law which regulates bureaucratic managerial procedures and defines the powers of administrative agencies. These laws are enforced by the executive branch of a government rather than the judicial or legislative branches (if they are different in that particular jurisdiction). This body of law regulates international trade, manufacturing, pollution, taxation, and the li e. This is sometimes seen as a subcategory of Civil law and sometimes seen as public law as it deals with regulation and public institutions. Criminal law involves the state imposing sanctions for crimes committed by individuals so that society can achieve justice and a peaceable social order. This differs from Civil law in that civil actions are disputes between two parties that are not of significant public concern.

Social Welfare Issues

-ocial welfare law is concerned with society and the right of individuals within society, particularly (although not necessarily exclusively) disadvantaged individuals.