The Civil Rights Act of 1991 broadened the scope of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include the right to a jury trial as well as the right to recover compensatory and punitive damages.
The Civil Rights Act of 1991 gives employees who sue their employers the right to a jury trial and the right to recover compensatory and punitive damages. Prior to passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, successful claimants were entitled only to awards of back pay and lost benefits and were not afforded the right to a jury trial.