The-difference-between-common-law-and-civil-law

KeyFeaturesofCommonLaworCivilLawSystemsUnderSourcesofLawweexplainedthatsomecountrieswillapplygreaterweighttocertainsourcesoflawthanothers,andthatsomewillputmoreemphasisonjudicialdecisionsthanothers.Therearetwomaintypesoflegalsystemintheworld,withmostcountriesadoptingfeaturesfromoneorotherintotheirownlegalsystems,CommonLawandCivillaw.Foraninexhaustivelistofthecountrieswithcommonlawandcivillawsystems,gototheLegalSystemsoftheWorldonWikipediaThissectionlooksatkeyfeaturesofeachsystemandhighlightsareaswhichofparticularrelevancetoPPPprojects:CommonLawSystemCivilLawSystemSummaryofDifferencesbetweenCivillawandCommonlawlegalsystemsCivilLawSystems-KeyAdministrativeJurisprudencethatcanimpactPPParrangementsOtherCivilLawrulesthatcanimpactPPParrangementsConceptofConcessionasUnderstoodinFrance-summaryCommonLawSystemCountriesfollowingacommonlawsystemaretypicallythosethatwereformerBritishcoloniesorprotectorates,includingtheUnitedStates.Featuresofacommonlawsysteminclude:Thereisnotalwaysawrittenconstitutionorcodifiedlaws;Judicialdecisionsarebinding–decisionsofthehighestcourtcangenerallyonlybeoverturnedbythatsamecourtorthroughlegislation;Extensivefreedomofcontract-fewprovisionsareimpliedintothecontractbylaw(althoughprovisionsseekingtoprotectprivateconsumersmaybeimplied);Generally,everythingispermittedthatisnotexpresslyprohibitedbylaw.Acommonlawsystemislessprescriptivethanacivillawsystem.Agovernmentmaythereforewishtoenshrineprotectionsofitscitizensinspecificlegislationrelatedtotheinfrastructureprogrambeingcontemplated.Forexample,itmaywishtoprohibittheserviceproviderfromcuttingoffthewaterorelectricitysupplyofbadpayersormayrequirethatdocumentsrelatedtothetransactionbediscolsedunderafreedomofinformationact.Theremayalsobelegalrequirementstoimplyintoacontractinequalbargainingprovisionswhereonepartyisinamuchstrongerbargainingpositionthantheother.PleaseseeLegislationandRegulationformoreonthis.Therearefewprovisionsimpliedintoacontractunderthecommonlawsystem–itisthereforeimportanttosetoutALLthetermsgoverningtherelationshipbetweenthepartiestoacontractinthecontractitself.Thiswilloftenresultinacontractbeinglongerthanoneinacivillawcountry.backtotopCivilLawSystemCountriesfollowingacivillawsystemaretypicallythosethatwereformerFrench,Dutch,German,SpanishorPortuguesecoloniesorprotectorates,includingmuchofCentralandSouthAmerica.MostoftheCentralandEasternEuropeanandEastAsiancountriesalsofollowacivillawstructure.Thecivillawsystemisacodifiedsystemoflaw.IttakesitsoriginsfromRomanlaw.Featuresofacivillawsysteminclude:Thereisgenerallyawrittenconstitutionbasedonspecificcodes(e.g.,civilcode,codescoveringcorporatelaw,administrativelaw,taxlawandconstitutionallaw)enshriningbasicrightsandduties;administrativelawishoweverusuallylesscodifiedandadministrativecourtjudgestendtobehavemorelikecommonlawjudges;Onlylegislativeenactmentsareconsideredbindingforall.Thereislittlescopeforjudge-madelawincivil,criminalandcommercialcourts,althoughinpracticejudgestendtofollowpreviousjudicialdecisions;consitutionalandadministrativecourtscannullifylawsandregulationsandtheirdecisionsinsuchcasesarebindingforall.Insomecivillawsystems,e.g.,Germany,writingsoflegalscholarshavesignificantinfluenceonthecourts;Courtsspecifictotheunderlyingcodes–therearethereforeusuallyseparateconstitutionalcourt,administrativecourtandcivilcourtsystemsthatopineonconsistencyoflegislationandadministrativeactswithandinterpretthatspecificcode;Lessfreedomofcontract-manyprovisionsareimpliedintoacontractbylawandpartiescannotcontractoutofcertainprovisions.Acivillawsystemisgenerallymoreprescriptivethanacommonlawsystem.However,agovernmentwillstillneedtoconsiderwhetherspecificlegislationisrequiredtoeitherlimitthescopeofacertainrestrictiontoallowasuccessfulinfrastructureproject,ormayrequirespecificlegislationforasector.PleasegotoLegislationandRegulationand“OrganizingGovernmenttothinkPPP”sectionsformoreinformationonthis.Thereareanumberofprovisionsimpliedintoacontractunderthecivillawsystem–lessimportanceisgenerallyplacedonsettingoutALLthetermsgoverningtherelationshipbetweenthepartiestoacontractinthecontractitselfasinadequaciesorambiguitiescanberemediedorresolvedbyoperationoflaw.Thiswilloftenresultinacontractbeingshorterthanoneinacommonlawcountry.Itisalsoimportanttonoteintheareaofinfrastructurethatcertainformsofinfrastructureprojectsarereferredtobywell-definedlegalconceptsincivillawjurisdictions.ConcessionsandAffermagehaveadefinitetechnicalmeaningandstructuretothemthatmaynotbeunderstoodorappliedinacommonlawcountry.Careshouldbetaken,therefore,inapplyingthesetermsloosely.ThisisfurtherconsideredunderAgreements.SummaryofDifferencesbetweenCivillawandCommonlawlegalsystemsSetoutbelowareafewkeydifferencesbetweencommonlawandcivillawjurisdictions.FeatureCommonLawCivilLawWrittenconstitutionNotalwaysAlwaysJudicialdecisionsBindingNotbindingon3rdparties;however,administrativeandconstitutionalcourtdecisionsonlawsandregulationsbindingonallWritingsoflegalscholarsLittleinfluenceSignificantinfluenceinsomecivillawjurisdiction