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.
Wilberforce is a census-designated place (CDP) in Greene County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,579 at the 2000 census. It is the home of two historically black universities. Wilberforce University was established in 1856 by the Methodist Episcopal Church and African Methodist Episcopal Church. Central State University originated as a normal school and expanded to a college and university. The community was named for the English statesman William Wilberforce, who worked for abolition of slavery and achieved the end of the slave trade in Great Britain and its empire before he died in 1833. The community was important as a stop on the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War, with seven stations. It has also been important in the history of black education, with Wilberforce University the first college owned and operated by African Americans, and for which African Americans were among the founders. With its National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, the university has expanded its learning opportunities for the regional community. The Association of African American Museums, also located in Wilberforce, works to build professional capacity among smaller museums. Wilberforce is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.