Established by the law of 4 August 1832 under the new Constitution. It does not retry cases: it reviews whether the law was correctly applied and whether procedural formalities were observed. A successful appeal quashes the judgment and normally sends the case back to a differently composed court. It also settles conflicts of jurisdiction between the judicial and administrative orders.
How the court is constituted
- Tier
- supreme
- Court type
- Supreme court of the judicial order
- Jurisdiction
- National — final review on points of law in civil, criminal, commercial and labour matters
- Seat
- Brussels
- Established
- 1832
- Composition
- Three chambers — civil and commercial, criminal, and labour — each divided into a Dutch-language and a French-language section, headed by a First President. The Procureur général’s office delivers an independent opinion in each case.
- Appointment
- Appointed for life by the King on nomination by the High Council of Justice
- Languages
- Dutch, French, German
Where an appeal goes next
None within Belgium. Convention rights may afterwards be raised before the European Court of Human Rights.
Filing at this court
- Time limit (civil)
- Three months from service of the contested judgment
- Counsel
- Civil appeals must be signed by an avocat à la Cour de cassation
- Scope
- Questions of law only; findings of fact are not reopened
Found something out of date on Court of Cassation?
Corrections are reviewed against the primary source before anything changes.