ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Civil law (system)

Imagine you have a favorite toy that belongs to you and you take it to your friend's house to play with it. While you're playing, your friend accidentally breaks the toy. In this situation, you might feel upset or angry because your toy is now broken and you might also think that your friend did something wrong.

In the grown-up world, people have more complicated problems than toy breakage, but the same idea applies. Civil law is a system of rules that helps people solve problems when they feel like someone else has done something wrong to them. These problems can be anything from issues with neighbors, to disputes over money, to business disagreements.

The civil law system gives people a way to ask a judge or jury to decide who is right and who is wrong. In this system, each person presents their side of the story and any evidence they have to support their claims. Then, the judge or jury listens to both sides and makes a decision. Whatever the decision is, both sides must follow it.

Civil law is important because it helps people resolve conflicts in a peaceful and fair way. It also sets rules and guidelines for how businesses and individuals should behave, which helps keep society running smoothly.