Civil Recovery
Civil Recovery is the legal means by which a business may attempt to reclaim losses and costs directly from a wrongdoer.
For example, a retailer may use civil recovery in relation to a person who is caught with stolen goods in their possession. The person accused of theft may make restitution or choose to have the matter tried in civil court.
Principles of civil law
Anyone who has suffered a financial loss due to wrongful or reckless actions of someone else can be compensated under civil law. This is one of the fundamental principles of civil law in the UK.
The compensation due to a plaintiff from a wrongdoer is not affected by any decision made by the criminal justice system. If a police officer only gives a caution warning to a thief, this does not eliminate or even reduce the compensation due. If the CPS decides that a defendant should not be charged, that makes no difference to the civil prosecution. If a court fines a thief then this does not reduce the amount of compensation due to the plaintiff.