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.
Bowstring is an unincorporated community in the Bowstring Lake unorganized territory in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States. It is located about 10 miles north of Deer River on Minnesota State Highway 6. The town name appears on some state maps and on highway signage. The U.S. Postal Service accepts mail addressed to Bowstring, which is held for pickup at a contract post office located at the Bowstring Store. The town is named after nearby Bowstring Lake. Its population is about 121 people. Buildings include a church, the Bowstring Store, the USDA fire warden's office, a community center, and several houses. It also features a telephone booth, which was an important feature up until the arrival of cellular phone service in the area in the 1980s. The town has served travelers, tourists, and the area's few permanent residents since being settled in the 1920s.