The civil law is based on the theory of separation of powers, whereby the role of legislator is to legislate, while the courts should apply the law.The civil law is based on codes which contain logically connected concepts and rules, starting with general principles and moving on to specific rules. A civil lawyer usually starts from a legal norm contained in a legislation, and by means of deduction makes conclusions regarding the actual case. On the other hand, a lawyer in common law starts with the actual case and compares it with the same or similar legal issues that have been dealt with by courts in previously decided cases, and from these relevant precedents the binding legal rule is determined by means of induction. On the other hand, lawyers from the common law countries are considered to be more pragmatic.