The courts where the overwhelming majority of cases begin and end. District courts sit across the island, with the First District Court in Castries carrying the heaviest criminal list, alongside a Family Court dealing with maintenance and domestic violence. Magistrates also conduct preliminary enquiries to decide whether an indictable charge should be sent to the superior court for trial.
How the court is constituted
- Tier
- first instance
- Court type
- Court of summary jurisdiction
- Jurisdiction
- Summary criminal offences, preliminary enquiries into indictable charges, small civil claims, and family and maintenance matters.
- Seat
- Castries
- Composition
- Magistrates sitting alone, without a jury.
- Languages
- English
Where an appeal goes next
Appeal to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.
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