What does civil law primarily govern?

Civil law primarily governs private relations between community members. This area of law focuses on disputes between individuals or organizations rather than offenses against the state. Civil law encompasses a wide range of legal matters, including contracts, property rights, torts (such as personal injury), family law, and more. The goal of civil law is to resolve these disputes fairly and to provide compensation to the aggrieved party when necessary.

In contrast, the other options pertain to different legal categories; for example, criminal law deals with offenses against the state and involves the prosecution of individuals by the government for crimes, while matters related to public relations or national defense are governed by their specific legal regulations and frameworks.