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.
Tamaqua is a borough in eastern Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The borough, located in Pennsylvania's Coal Region, had a population of 7,174 as of the 2000 U.S. Census. 2007 estimate was 6,696 population, down 7%. The name, pronounced tuh-MAH-qwuh, is a Native American word that means "Land of the Beaver. " The town also is known as "The Land of the Running Water. " The name is unique in that Tamaqua is the only community in the world with this name.