• The Civil Rights Act of 1991 is an act that expanded the scope of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 gives workers who sue their employers the right to a jury trial and the right to recover compensatory and punitive damages. . Prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, successful plaintiffs were only entitled to an award of wages and lost benefits, and were not granted the right to trial by jury.