Lebanon · Courts
Court structure of Lebanon
Every tier of the judiciary, what it hears, and where an appeal goes next.
The hierarchy, top to bottom
- Constitutional — Constitutional Council
- Ten members; abstract review only, no individual access.
- Final appellate — Court of Cassation
- Civil and criminal chambers in Beirut.
- Appellate — Courts of Appeal
- One per governorate.
- First instance — Courts of First Instance and Single Judge Courts
- General civil and criminal jurisdiction.
- Religious and special — Sharia, Druze, and Christian ecclesiastical courts; Judicial Council; Military Court
- The Judicial Council tries offences against state security; the Military Court's civilian jurisdiction is criticised.
Every court in the hierarchy
- supremeBeirutCourt of Cassation of LebanonFinal review on points of law in civil, commercial and criminal matters, through chambers sitting in Beirut.
- constitutionalBeirutConstitutional Council of LebanonReview of the constitutionality of statutes on referral by the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker or ten members of parliament, and adjudication of parliamentary election disputes.
- specialisedNationwidePersonal Status CourtsMarriage, divorce, custody and inheritance for members of each of the recognised religious communities, applying that community's own law.
Found something out of date on Lebanon · Courts?
Corrections are reviewed against the primary source before anything changes.