Private rights
Encyclopedia
In the United States, a private right is one that a private citizen can vindicate in court. Compare public rights
. There must be a private right for a citizen to have a claim. To have a private right of action, a citizen must be able to show that He/she has "sustained or is immediately in danger of sustaining some direct injury" and not that He/she "suffers in some indefinite way in common with people generally." Frothingham v. Mellon, 262 U.S. 447, 488 (1923). a distinction between criminal rights and "private rights," arguing that restrictions against ex post facto laws were not designed to protect citizens' contract rights.
Public rights
In America, public rights, as compared to private rights, belong to citizens but are vested in and vindicated by political entities. Public rights cannot be vindicated by private citizens. A right must normally be a private right to be vindicated in court....
. There must be a private right for a citizen to have a claim. To have a private right of action, a citizen must be able to show that He/she has "sustained or is immediately in danger of sustaining some direct injury" and not that He/she "suffers in some indefinite way in common with people generally." Frothingham v. Mellon, 262 U.S. 447, 488 (1923). a distinction between criminal rights and "private rights," arguing that restrictions against ex post facto laws were not designed to protect citizens' contract rights.