India has the most extensive corpus of codified law anywhere in the world. Putting it simply a civil law is one in which a person seeks to enforce a right or seeks the help of the courts in ensuring that a right granted under law to him is not infringed. These refer to laws made by the Central or State legislatures. The constitution prescribes what areas the two legislatures can legislate over whereas in certain areas both the central and state governments have the power to make laws. As a rule the laws made by the Central Government hold sway over the state laws (in case of any conflict).

Laws or acts as they are called can be made for a multitude of reasons. They can prescribe how a organization or corporation ought to be run. They can be specific such as pertaining to matters of taxation, or adoption and marriage amongst Hindus, or they can be more general in their application across the board such those pertaining to property under the transfer of property act or pertaining to evidence or limitation.