The key difference between a Civil Matter and a Criminal Matter is:
- Civil cases usually involve private disputes between persons or organisations, and
- Criminal cases involve an action that is considered to be harmful to society as a whole. Because of this, criminal cases usually involve the government bringing the case to a court to be decided.
Criminal offences are dealt with by the Local Court, Children’s Court, District Court, Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeal and the High Court.
If you are involved in a criminal matter you should seek legal advice as soon as you can. If you have intellectual disability and live in New South Wales then IDRS is a good place to start in seeking legal advice and support in criminal matters.
