民事訴訟

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 民事訴訟 (みんじそしょう) is civil litigation in which a court resolves disputes over private rights or obligations.
• Basic usage: A contract dispute develops into a lawsuit; residents in a novel initiate proceedings against a company.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Dispute escalating into litigation and a party filing suit
  • 民事訴訟に発展した describes a change in the dispute's stage, while 民事訴訟を起こした identifies the party initiating the process. It is not the same procedure as criminal prosecution.