One of the significant differences between civil law and criminal law are the type of people involved when the cases are tried. In the case of civil law, the people involved are private individuals, which would mean that the situation can be between two people or between a company and a person. On the other hand, criminal law cases involve the government as one of the parties in the case.
Criminal and civil law covers different aspects of society to establish and protect the rights of all citizens, and to make sure these rights are protected and honored. Civil law handles disputes between private parties. The purpose of criminal law is to prove the guilt of the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt.