Court Structure

Purpose of court structure

Differentiates courts by seniority, subject specialism, and appellate/trial function to ensure proper allocation of cases and legal development through hierarchy.

Criminal vs Civil courts (which handle what)

Criminal matters: Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court. Civil matters: County Court and High Court. Each has distinct procedures and remedies.

Magistrates' Court - role and limits

Handles summary offences, family and youth matters; sentencing power up to 6 months imprisonment. Decisions are typically by a District Judge or lay magistrates.

Crown Court - role

Deals with serious indictable offences (e.g., murder); trial by jury for verdict on facts while the judge rules on legal issues and sentencing.

County Court - civil claim banding

Deals with civil claims, often split: Small Claims (<£5,000), District Judges' court (<£10,000), County Court (<£30,000). Decisions by a single judge; limits subject to consultation.

High Court divisions and functions

King’s Bench (contracts, torts, judicial review), Chancery (land, bankruptcy, trusts), Family (divorce, children). Hears more serious civil matters and appeals from County Court (de novo).

Trial courts characteristics

Trial courts hear witness evidence, expert testimony, and determine facts and law; exception is Crown Court where jury decides facts.

Appellate courts characteristics

Appellate courts focus on points of law, hearing appeals from lower courts typically without new witness testimony; decisions shape legal precedent.

Court of Appeal (NI) - composition and role

Highest court in Northern Ireland, led by the Lady Chief Justice; usually sits as a panel of three judges; hears appeals on points of law and can grant leave to appeal.

Supreme Court - role and composition

UK’s final court of appeal for civil and criminal matters; replaced House of Lords (Constitutional Reform Act 2005); commonly sits in odd-numbered panels (usually five), headed by a President.

Tribunals - purpose and appeal route

Specialist bodies for areas like employment disputes; designed to be more informal and expert-led. Appeals from tribunals can proceed to the Court of Appeal.

International courts relevant to UK students

European Court of Human Rights (Council of Europe, Strasbourg) and Court of Justice of the European Union (Luxembourg) remain relevant for ECHR and retained EU law matters respectively.

Importance of precedent in court structure

Precedent (stare decisis) ensures lower courts follow legal rulings of higher courts, providing certainty; higher courts can overrule or distinguish earlier decisions.

Reading case citations - court indicators

Citation signals include UKSC (Supreme Court), NICA (NI Court of Appeal), NIKB/NICh/NIFam (High Court divisions), EWCA (Civ/Crim) for England & Wales Court of Appeal.