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[News] Criminal case vs Civil case



Lenny Rider

Well-known member
Sep 15, 2010
6,090
Reading all the ongoing Conor McGregor so what is the actual difference between a civil and a criminal case?

I know Ron Goldman’s family won a civil case against OJ Simpson after his criminal acquittal but in light of the events in Ireland last week does this mean that the Garda can come after McGregor with criminal charges?
 






wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patron
Aug 10, 2007
13,958
Melbourne
A successful CIVIL prosecution would allow for financial compensation to be sought. A CRIMINAL conviction would result in punishment on behalf of the state, possibly prison etc..

I think.
 


Man of Harveys

Well-known member
Jul 9, 2003
18,931
Brighton, UK
My limited understanding is that a criminal case is always brought by the state - because you’ve maybe broken its laws. So the plaintiff is always the Crown. A civil case is always brought by someone else, another individual or a company: a former band member who thinks you owe them money etc.

If it helps to visualise it, in London the former are dealt with at the Old Bailey, the latter in the Strand.
 


Nobby Cybergoat

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2021
8,754
My limited understanding is that a criminal case is always brought by the state - because you’ve maybe broken its laws. So the plaintiff is always the Crown. A civil case is always brought by someone else, another individual or a company: a former band member who thinks you owe them money etc.

If it helps to visualise it, in London the former are dealt with at the Old Bailey, the latter in the Strand.
This is correct. Nothing complicated here

Civil = individual v individual
Criminal = Crown (or you could call it the state) v individual

In a civil case, someone has bought an action, usually to gain compensation
 




martin tyler

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2013
5,989
Anyone can privately prosecute someone it doesn’t have to be brought about by the state. It’s unusual to do so but it does happen.
Main difference really is the end goal. Criminal proceedings state led or private are seeking a punishment for the offence. These must be proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Civil proceedings are usually looking for a remedy to the case (normally compensation but there can be other remedies the claimant is looking for) and are proved on balance of probabilities. So 51% is enough to swing it your way.
 


Bodian

Well-known member
May 3, 2012
14,660
Cumbria
Occasionally stuff that comes out in a civil case can then actually lead to a criminal case being raised.
 






Lenny Rider

Well-known member
Sep 15, 2010
6,090
As Reform are planning to do with the Manchester Airport incident.
Didn’t the Lawrence family launch a private prosecution against three of those scumbags?

But ultimately the case collapsed I seem to recall (sadly)
 


macbeth

Dismembered
Jan 3, 2018
4,238
six feet beneath the moon
Simple answer, in a criminal case the burden of proof has to be "beyond reasonable doubt". In a civil case it's "on the balance of probability".

Beyond reasonable doubt means you must be sure he did it. Balance of probability means you think he probably did.
just a very small point of pedantry, which you sort of allude to in any case, ‘beyond all reasonable doubt’ is antiquated and isn’t really used any more, at least in the uk, and jurors in criminal case are now simply told they have to be ‘sure’ of a defendant’s guilt
 






jcdenton08

Offended Liver Sausage
NSC Patron
Oct 17, 2008
15,019
McGregor is, for now pending appeal, an adjudicated rapist. He hasn’t been criminally convicted (or charged) with the offence. Everything else has been covered above.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
63,033
The Fatherland
He‘s one proper weird acting and looking bloke is Conor McGregor.…and now a rapist as well.
 


METALMICKY

Well-known member
Jan 30, 2004
6,940
He‘s one proper weird acting and looking bloke is Conor McGregor.…and now a rapist as well.
He's an absolute cock of the highest order. The only credit I can give him is his ability to have self promoted to the degree he has and made so much money when his talent was limited. What's really galling is how casual MMA fans think it starts and ends with him.
 




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