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What is civil law?

Civil law is a system of justice based on the trying of private cases. Civil law is derived from Roman law, which was compiled and published under the direction of Emperor Justinian I (A.D. 483–565). Most nations or states whose justice systems are based on the Justinian Code rely heavily on the actual laws as they are written in the code. Judges base decisions on these laws and do not have to consider the outcomes of similar cases when making a judgment. Unlike civil law, in countries which use the common law system like the United States and Great Britain, judges must take into account the past decisions (precedents) of other courts in similar cases when making decisions.

Further Information: "Civil Law." MSN Encarta. [Online] Available http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?ti=03817000, October 16, 2000.

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1. Law
   1. What was the Justinian Code?
   2. What is civil law?
   3. What is common law?
   4. What is the only U.S. state that does not use common law?
   5. What was trial by ordeal?
   6. What is writ of habeas corpus?
   7. What is international law?
   8. What was the Code Napoleon?
   9. How was the composition of the U.S. Supreme Court determined?
   10. Who was the first justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?
   11. What were Jim Crow laws?
   12. What is the Miranda warning?
2. Trials
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   3. How did the Dred Scott case contribute to outbreak of the Civil War?
   4. Why was Susan B. Anthony put on trial?
   5. Who were Leopold and Loeb?
   6. Who was Mata Hari?
   7. What was the beer hall putsch trial and why was it important?
   8. What was the Scopes "Monkey Trial"?
   9. Why is the court-martial of Billy Mitchell famous?
   10. Was Al Capone tried for mob activities?
   11. What were the Nuremberg trials?
   12. Why were the Rosenbergs executed?
   13. What was the lasting effect of the Clarence Earl Gideon trials?
   14. Why was Nelson Mandela sent to prison?
   15. What was Roe vs. Wade?
   16. What was ABSCAM?
   17. Did a dingo kill Azaria Chamberlain?
   18. What was meant by "the" trial of the twentieth century?