本文以2011年度我國民事實體法發展為論述對象。2011年民事實體法「立法活動」，不算活躍。近年來民法各編頻仍修正工作，暫時停止，未見任何再修正。民事特別法的修正，數量有限。以「金融消費者保護法」、「土地法」、「兒童及少年福利與權益保障法」的制定或修正為主。惟此等修正，未見重大立法政策或制度變革，亦未變動重要原則性規定。相較之下，民事實體法「司法活動」，相當豐富。其中，實際主導司法實務發展者，仍以數量龐大的最高法院裁判為主。2011年最高法院裁判，身分法領域裁判，數量不多，其在理論形成或實務應用上特別值得討論者，更屬少數。反觀財產法領域裁判，數量龐大，見解多樣，廣泛牽涉各次領域重要議題。其中最值得注意的司法實務發展，諸如消滅時效制度的演變、權利濫用禁止原則的適用、誠實信用原則與權利失效理論及契約相對性的關係、契約上附隨義務的發展、租賃契約實務問題的闡述、僱用人責任的建構、優先購買權制度的運作等，可謂是在現行法基礎上，針對社會變遷需要，繼續從事司法造法與具體落實法律政策的工作。

This article is to review and examine the major development of Taiwanese civil law in 2011, mainly focusing on the legislative amendments and judicial practices. Generally, the legislative activities were not alive. By contrast, the courts energetically proposed many creative opinions in order to cater to the social changes. There were a few laws which were legislated or amended, such as the Financial Consumer Protection Act, the Land Act, and the Children and Youth Welfare Act. However, these legislative activities did not substantially involve any important policy reconsideration. Conversely, the judicial practices, especially the Supreme Court judgments, made a considerable number of inspiring and influential decisions concerning diverse issues of civil law. The main issues dealt with by the Court concerned as followed: extinctive prescription, abuse of rights, relation between the principle of good faith and the privity of contract, incidental obligation in contract, practical problems in lease contract, employer liability and right of first purchasing. From these decisions, the Court demonstrated how they adapted to the changing needs of transitional society.