Ch. 5 Key Terms
Definition of criminal law
a system of law concerned with the punishment of those who commit crimes
Definition of Civil Law
Is a branch of law that regulates the non-criminal rights, duties of persons
Definition of Torts
a wrongful act or an infringement of a right (other than under contract) leading to civil legal liability
Definition of Malpractice
The failure of a professional person to act in accordance with the prevailing professional standards, or failure to foresee consequences that a professional person, having the necessary skills and education, should foresee.
Definition of Negligence
Failure to take proper care in doing something
Definition of Assault and Battery
The crime of threatening a person together with the act of making physical contact with them
Definition of Invasion or Privacy
The infringement upon an individual's protected right to privacy through a variety of intrusive or unwanted actions.
Definition of False Imprisonment
The state of being imprisoned without legal authority
Definition of Abuse
Treat (a person or an animal) with cruelty or violence, especially regularly or repeatedly
Definition of Defamation
The action of damaging the good reputation of someone; slander or libel
Definition of Slander
The action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation
Definition of Libel
A published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation; a written defamation.