Which of the following would indicate if a court is hearing a criminal law or a civil law matter? (A) The presence or absence of a jury (B) Whether parties had legal representation (C) The standard of proof required (D) Whether the case is heard in the Supreme Court - HSC - SSCE Legal Studies - Question 5 - 2001 - Paper 1

In legal contexts, the standard of proof is a critical criterion that differentiates between criminal and civil law cases. In criminal law, the standard is 'beyond a reasonable doubt,' meaning the prosecution must prove the defendant's guilt to such a degree that a reasonable person would have no reasonable doubt about it. Conversely, in civil law, the standard is usually 'preponderance of the evidence,' which requires that one party's evidence be more convincing than the other’s.

Therefore, this distinction in the standard of proof is what most clearly indicates whether a court is addressing a criminal law matter or a civil law matter.