People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Faculty of Law and Political Sciences
Department of Law
University center of Maghnia
Second session
Addressed to 1st year master's students: Private Law
Academic year: 2024-2025
1/ Theoretical part:
1- Law: Is the body of official rules and regulations, generally found in constitutions and legislation,
that is used to govern a society and to control the behavior of its members.
2- Branches of Law ()فروع القانون
Some of the branches of law are: Constitutional Law/ Criminal Law/ Commercial Law/ Employment
Law/ Contract law/ Property Law/ Family Law.
3- Classifications of law ()تصنيفات القانون
It is difficult to find a unique classification of law since it is a very broad category, influenced by
many aspects, as well as by historical development. The following are some of the main divisions of
law that can be found in English legal theory:
3-1 Common Law and Statutory Law:
•Common law, also known as English law, Anglo-Saxon law and Anglo-American law, it is
uncodified, judge-made law or case-law based on judicial decisions, customs and traditions
interpreted in court cases by judges.
•Statutory law, also known as code law and civil law, it is a written law, that is, the law codified
by lawmaking bodies called legislature.
3-2 Civil Law and Criminal Law:
•Civil law governs the relations between individuals and defines their legal rights.
•Criminal law defines crimes against person, state, public peace and order, or property. Criminal
cases comprise such felonies or major crimes as: homicide, espionage, burglary, etc.
3-3 Domestic Law and International Law:
•Domestic law, also known as national law or internal law, regulates domestic affairs in one country.
•International law comprises legal principles governing the relations between nations. Thus, there is
a further division of this law to:
-Public international law, based on international treaties, charters, declarations and resolutions.
-Private international law, also termed as international conflict of laws, resolving a difference
between the laws of different countries. It also regulates relations among private individuals where
there is a foreign element involved.
4- Branches of law Vs classifications:
The difference between branches of law and classifications of law primarily lies in their scope and
function. The branches of law focus on specific areas, while classifications of law organize these areas
into more general categories.
People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Faculty of Law and Political Sciences
Department of Law
University center of Maghnia
2/ Practical part:
Exercise:
I. Match these bodies of law (1 – 3) with their definitions (a-c)
1. Civil law. a) area of the law which deals with crimes
and their punishments, including fines
and/or imprisonment (also penal law)
2. Common law b) 1) legal system developed from Roman
codified law, established by a state for its
regulation; 2) area of the law concerned
with non-criminal matters, rights and
remedies
3. Criminal law c) legal system which is the foundation of
the legal systems of most of the
English-speaking countries of the world,
based on customs, usage and court
decisions (also case law, judge-made law)
II. Classify the following terms into the appropriate column below. (Two terms can
appear in both columns).
•Prosecution •Theft •Damages
•The accused •To bring a case •Family law
•The defendant •To bring an action •Intellectual property
•Compensation •To fine •Private individual
•Contract •Crime •To charge someone with
•Police •Plaintiff something
Criminal Civil