united-states england-and-wales civil-law common-law tort
What is tort law and how does it differ from civil law?
<p>Is there any difference or overlap between the two? Does one more broadly encompass the other?</p>
<p>Are torts defined in statute or do they exist alongside statute in some way more fundamentally and less ephemerally than statutes exist?</p>
<p>What is a “common law tort “?</p>
<p>In the past there used to be a Wikipedia page, “list of torts” but it didn’t seem to really classify then be jurisdictions much less give the original basis for each tort, and furthermore there were a huge number of different torts.</p>

<p>First, civil law has, confusingly, two meanings.  It can denote the legal systems used in most of Europe, as opposed to the common-law systems arising in England and spreading to most of the former British empire.</p>
<p>In the US, and in other common-law jurisdictions, civil law is pretty much everything other than criminal law.  Given the tagging of the question, this seems to be the sense that you have in mind.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>What is tort law and how does it differ from civil law?  Is there any difference or overlap between the two? Does one more broadly encompass the other?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Tort law is a subset of civil law.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Are torts defined in statute?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Some are; some aren't.  There is a common-law doctrine of torts.  These torts have been defined by the courts through judicial precedent rather than by the legislature through statute law.  They are therefore known as &quot;common law torts.&quot;  Some jurisdictions have abolished these torts and replaced them with torts defined by statute.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>or do they exist alongside statute in some way more fundamentally and less ephemerally than statutes exist?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Statutorily defined torts are rather less ephemeral than common-law torts, not more.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>What is a “common law tort “?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>See above.</p>
