ABSTRACT
Traditionally, classification of law has taken two forms. We have already mentioned the distinction between criminal law and civil law. Offences such as theft, robbery, burglary and murder are classified as criminal, as these actions are sufficiently anti-social to warrant punishment by the State in the form of imprisonment of the offender or by the imposition of a fine. Civil law, on the other hand, provides for the making of contracts, wills, ownership and transfer of property, and regulates employment, consumer transactions and family matters. Apart from contracts where two or more parties have entered into a binding agreement which can then be enforced, the other main type of civil liability arises in tort. This covers acts or omissions where a person’s interests have been adversely affected by the defendant, such as physical injury, damage to property or the publication of defamatory statements.
