In the laws of many common law jurisictions, the concept of legal privilege, or the rule that certain conversations are so private and confidential that they cannot be used as evidence in court, extends to communication between a patient and physician. Although the rule is sometimes thought to apply only to situations such as admissions made to a psychiatrist during treatment, this is only one case. In some jurisdictions, conversations between a patient and physician may be privileged in both criminal and civil courts.