action
N. in court, when one person sues someone else to:
- defend or enforce a right,
- stop something bad from happening or fix something, or
- punish them for a crime.
Unlike criminal proceedings - where the State almost always has the role of prosecuting individuals who are alleged to have broken the criminal law, in a civil action one party takes proceedings against another party.
A civil action can be brought if a person defames you or trespasses on your land.