Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals and/or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim. For instance, if a car crash victim claims damages against the driver for loss or injury sustained in an accident, this will be a civil law case. Civil law courts provide a forum for deciding disputes involving torts (such as accidents, negligence, and libel), contract disputes, the probate of wills, trusts, property disputes, administrative law, commercial law, and any other private matters that involve private parties or organizations including government departments. The objectives of civil law are different from other types of law. In civil law there is the attempt to right a wrong, honor an agreement, or settle a dispute. If there is a victim, they get compensation, and the person who is the cause of the wrong pays, this being a civilized form of, or legal alternative to, revenge.
Dennis Port (or Dennisport) is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Dennis in Barnstable County, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. At the 2000 census, its population was 3,612. The Swan River roughly demarcates Dennis Port's western border with West Dennis. The village of West Harwich lies directly to Dennis Port's east, with the border demarcated by the median of Division Street. To the north of Dennis Port is South Dennis. Like other villages along Nantucket Sound, Dennis Port features warm-water beaches, like Haigis Beach, Sea Street Beach, and Glendon Road Beach. Many consider these among Cape Cod's most desirable for swimming and windsurfing. By U.S. standards, real estate prices in Dennis Port remain exorbitantly high. Housing stock consists mostly of World War II–era beach cottages built in the Cape Cod architectural style, although many have been expanded or replaced with larger, more contemporary beach houses. Many streets in Dennis Port—particularly those south of Lower County Road, within 0.5 miles of the beaches—evoke the quaint ambiance of an early-20th century seasonal retreat. There are a great deal of hotels, cottage retreats, and businesses geared towards tourists. Famous residents of Dennis Port include U.S. military hero Benjamin F. Baker.