Institutions
Every court, and exactly where an appeal travels next
Court structures are the part of a legal system people most often get wrong. Each entry names the tier, what the court may hear, how its judges are appointed, and the route out of it.
appellate courts
88- Afghanistan
Provincial Courts
Provincial-level adjudication and appeals, as organised by the current administration.
Provincial courtProvincial capitalsest. 1978Indexed - Antigua and Barbuda
Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal
Appeals from the High Court and, in some matters, from Magistrates' Courts of this state and of the other member states and territories of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.
Regional appellate courtCastriesest. 1967Reviewed - Argentina
Federal Chamber of Criminal Cassation
Federal
Court of criminal cassationBuenos Airesest. 1992Reviewed - Armenia
Courts of Appeal of Armenia
Appeals on fact and law from the courts of general jurisdiction, in separate civil and criminal chambers.
Intermediate appellate courtYerevanest. 1998Reviewed - Austria
Higher Regional Courts
Regional — four appellate districts (Vienna, Graz, Linz, Innsbruck)
Courts of appeal in civil and criminal mattersVienna, Graz, Linz and InnsbruckReviewed - Azerbaijan
Courts of Appeal of Azerbaijan
Appeals on fact and law from the district and specialised first-instance courts.
Regional appellate courtBaku, Ganja, Sumgait, Shaki, Nakhchivanest. 2000Reviewed - The Bahamas
Court of Appeal
Appeals from the Supreme Court and from Magistrates' Courts in civil and criminal matters.
Appellate courtNassauest. 1964Reviewed - Bangladesh
High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Original writ jurisdiction under Article 102 for enforcement of fundamental rights and review of state action, appeals and revisions from the subordinate courts, and supervision of all courts and tribunals.
Constitutional and appellate divisionDhakaest. 1972Reviewed - Barbados
Court of Appeal
Appeals from the High Court and from Magistrates' Courts in civil and criminal matters.
Appellate courtBridgetownest. 1966Reviewed - Belarus
Minsk City Court
Minsk — appeals from district courts and grave first-instance cases
City court of regional rankMinskReviewed - Belgium
Courts of Appeal
Five appeal areas: Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Liège and Mons
General appellate courtsBrussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Liège and MonsReviewed - Belize
Court of Appeal of Belize
National
Appellate courtBelize Cityest. 1967Reviewed - Bhutan
High Court of Bhutan
Appeals from the dzongkhag courts, and first-instance jurisdiction over serious matters and cases involving the state.
Intermediate appellate courtThimphuest. 1968Reviewed - Brazil
São Paulo Court of Justice
State of São Paulo
State appellate courtSão PauloReviewed - Brunei
High Court of Brunei Darussalam
Unlimited civil and criminal first-instance jurisdiction, and appeals from the Intermediate Court and Magistrates' Courts.
Superior court of first instanceBandar Seri Begawanest. 1963Reviewed - Cambodia
Court of Appeal of Cambodia
Appeals on fact and law from the municipal and provincial courts of first instance.
Intermediate appellate courtPhnom Penhest. 1993Reviewed - Canada
Federal Court of Appeal
National federal matters
Federal appellate courtOttawaest. 1971Reviewed - Chile
Court of Appeals of Santiago
Santiago jurisdiction
Court of appealSantiagoest. 1849Reviewed - China
Higher People's Courts
Appeals from intermediate people's courts, first-instance trial of the most serious provincial-level cases, and review of death sentences before they are referred to the Supreme People's Court.
Provincial appellate courtProvincial capitalsest. 1954Reviewed - Costa Rica
Courts of Appeal of Costa Rica
Regional
Appellate courtSan José and regional circuitsReviewed - Cuba
Tribunales Provinciales Populares
Appeals from municipal courts and first-instance trial of serious crimes and substantial civil, economic and administrative claims.
Provincial courtsLa HabanaReviewed - Denmark
High Courts
Eastern and Western Denmark
Regional courts of appealCopenhagen and ViborgReviewed - Dominica
Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal
Appeals from the High Court and, in some matters, from Magistrates' Courts of this state and of the other member states and territories of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.
Regional appellate courtCastriesest. 1967Reviewed - Dominican Republic
Cortes de Apelación
Appeals from courts of first instance in civil, commercial, criminal, labour and juvenile matters.
Appellate courtsSanto DomingoReviewed - Ecuador
Provincial Court of Justice of Pichincha
Pichincha province
Provincial court of appealQuitoReviewed - El Salvador
Second Instance Chambers of El Salvador
Regional
Appellate courtSan Salvador and regional seatsReviewed - Estonia
Circuit Courts
National (Tallinn and Tartu)
Courts of appealTallinn and TartuReviewed - Fiji
Court of Appeal of Fiji
Appeals from the High Court in civil and criminal matters.
Intermediate appellate courtSuvaest. 1970Reviewed - Georgia
Courts of Appeals of Georgia
Appeals from the city and district courts in civil, administrative and criminal matters.
Regional appellate courtTbilisi, Kutaisiest. 2005Reviewed - Germany
Higher Regional Court of Munich
Southern Bavaria
Higher regional courtMunichReviewed - Grenada
Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal
Appeals from the High Court and, in some matters, from Magistrates' Courts of this state and of the other member states and territories of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.
Regional appellate courtCastriesest. 1967Reviewed - Guatemala
Courts of Appeal of Guatemala
Regional
Appellate courtGuatemala City and regional seatsReviewed - Guyana
Court of Appeal of Guyana
National
Intermediate appellate courtGeorgetownest. 1966Reviewed - Haiti
Cours d'appel
Appeals from the tribunaux de première instance in civil, commercial and criminal matters.
Appellate courtsPort-au-PrinceReviewed - Honduras
Courts of Appeal of Honduras
Regional
Appellate courtTegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and regional seatsReviewed - Iceland
Court of Appeal
National
Intermediate court of appealReykjavíkReviewed - India
High Court of Delhi
National Capital Territory of Delhi
High court with writ jurisdictionNew Delhiest. 1966Reviewed - Ireland
Court of Appeal
National
Intermediate court of appealDublinReviewed - Israel
District Courts of Israel
First-instance jurisdiction over serious criminal offences, higher-value civil claims, company and insolvency matters, and appeals from the Magistrates' Courts.
Superior court of first instance and appealJerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Be'er Sheva, Nazareth, Lodest. 1948Reviewed - Jamaica
Court of Appeal of Jamaica
Appeals from the Supreme Court and the Parish Courts in civil and criminal matters, and from certain tribunals.
Appellate courtKingstonest. 1962Reviewed - Japan
Tokyo High Court
Kantō region
High courtTokyoReviewed - Kiribati
Kiribati Court of Appeal
Appeals from the High Court in civil and criminal matters.
Intermediate appellate courtSouth Tarawaest. 1979Reviewed - Kyrgyzstan
Oblast Courts
Appeals from the local courts of the region, and first-instance jurisdiction over the most serious criminal matters.
Regional appellate courtOblast centres and Bishkekest. 1991Reviewed - Laos
Appellate People's Courts
Appeals from the provincial and district people's courts within the region.
Regional appellate courtVientiane, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Champasakest. 2009Reviewed - Liechtenstein
Administrative Court
National — review of decisions by public authorities
Administrative courtVaduzReviewed - Liechtenstein
Court of Appeal
National
Court of appeal in civil and criminal mattersVaduzReviewed - Luxembourg
Court of Appeal
National
Court of appeal in civil, commercial and criminal mattersLuxembourg CityReviewed - Malaysia
Court of Appeal of Malaysia
Appeals from the High Courts in civil and criminal matters.
Intermediate appellate courtPutrajayaest. 1994Reviewed - Maldives
High Court of the Maldives
Appeals from the superior courts and the magistrate courts of the atolls, and judicial review of administrative action.
Intermediate appellate courtMaléest. 1979Reviewed - Malta
Court of Appeal
National — civil appeals in superior and inferior jurisdiction
Appellate courtVallettaReviewed - Mexico
Collegiate Circuit Courts
Circuit
Federal appellate courtMultiple circuits nationwideReviewed - Micronesia
State Supreme Courts of Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap
All matters of state law in their state, including land tenure, inheritance, probate and local offences, with appellate jurisdiction over municipal courts.
State courts of final appealWeno, Tofol, Kolonia and ColoniaReviewed - Moldova
Chișinău Court of Appeal
Central Moldova including Chișinău — appeals from district courts
Court of appealChișinăuReviewed - Monaco
Court of Appeal
National
Court of appeal in civil, commercial and criminal mattersMonacoReviewed - Mongolia
Aimag and Capital City Courts
Appeals from soum and inter-soum courts and from district courts of Ulaanbaatar, and first-instance jurisdiction over serious criminal matters.
Provincial appellate courtAimag centres and Ulaanbaatarest. 1991Reviewed - Nepal
High Courts
Appeals from the district courts, writ jurisdiction within the province, and first-instance jurisdiction over serious offences.
Provincial appellate courtProvincial capitalsest. 2016Reviewed - Netherlands
Courts of Appeal
Regional — four appeal jurisdictions
Courts of appeal in civil, criminal and tax mattersAmsterdam, Arnhem-Leeuwarden, The Hague and s-HertogenboschReviewed - New Zealand
Court of Appeal of New Zealand
Appeals from the High Court in civil and criminal matters, and from some specialist courts and tribunals.
Intermediate appellate courtWellingtonest. 1862Reviewed - Nicaragua
Courts of Appeal of Nicaragua
Regional
Appellate courtManagua and regional seatsReviewed - Nigeria
Court of Appeal
Federal, sitting in divisions
Intermediate appellate courtAbujaest. 1976Reviewed - North Korea
Provincial Courts
Provided by statute with first-instance jurisdiction over serious matters and appellate jurisdiction over the people's courts of the province.
Provincial courtProvincial centresest. 1948Indexed - Norway
Courts of Appeal
National (six regions)
Regional courts of appealVariousReviewed - Oman
Courts of Appeal of Oman
Appeals on fact and law from the courts of first instance, in civil, criminal, labour and personal-status circuits.
Regional appellate courtMuscat and governorate centresest. 1999Reviewed - Pakistan
High Courts
Writ jurisdiction under Article 199 for enforcement of fundamental rights and review of state action, appeals from the district judiciary, and supervision of subordinate courts and tribunals.
Provincial constitutional and appellate courtLahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Islamabadest. 1866Reviewed - Panama
Superior Courts of Justice of Panama
Judicial district
Appellate courtPanama City and district seatsReviewed - Paraguay
Court of Appeal of Asunción
Asunción judicial circumscription
Court of appealAsunciónReviewed - Peru
Superior Court of Justice of Lima
Lima judicial district
Superior courtLimaest. 1825Reviewed - Philippines
Court of Appeals of the Philippines
Appeals from the Regional Trial Courts and from quasi-judicial agencies, and original jurisdiction over petitions for certiorari, prohibition, mandamus and the writs of amparo and habeas data.
Intermediate appellate courtManila, Cebu, Cagayan de Oroest. 1936Reviewed - Romania
Bucharest Court of Appeal
Bucharest and surrounding counties — appeals and specified first-instance cases
Court of appealBucharestReviewed - Saint Kitts and Nevis
Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal
Appeals from the High Court and, in some matters, from Magistrates' Courts of this state and of the other member states and territories of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.
Regional appellate courtCastriesest. 1967Reviewed - Saint Lucia
Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal
Appeals from the High Court and, in some matters, from Magistrates' Courts of this state and of the other member states and territories of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.
Regional appellate courtCastriesest. 1967Reviewed - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal
Appeals from the High Court and, in some matters, from Magistrates' Courts of this state and of the other member states and territories of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.
Regional appellate courtCastriesest. 1967Reviewed - San Marino
Judge of Appeal
National — civil and criminal appeals
Appellate jurisdictionSan MarinoReviewed - Singapore
High Court of Singapore
Unlimited civil and criminal first-instance jurisdiction, judicial review of administrative action, admiralty, insolvency and probate, and appeals from the State Courts.
Superior court of first instanceSingaporeest. 1969Reviewed - South Africa
Supreme Court of Appeal
National, except constitutional finality
General appellate courtBloemfonteinest. 1910Reviewed - South Korea
High Courts
Appeals from district courts and family courts, and first-instance jurisdiction over certain administrative cases.
Intermediate appellate courtSeoul, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Suwonest. 1948Reviewed - Sri Lanka
Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Appeals from the High Court and District Courts, writ jurisdiction over administrative action, and revisionary jurisdiction over the lower courts.
Intermediate appellate courtColomboest. 1978Reviewed - Switzerland
Cantonal High Courts
Cantonal — appeals from district courts
Highest cantonal courts in civil and criminal mattersOne per cantonReviewed - Tonga
Privy Council of Tonga
Appeals from the Land Court on the succession to and boundaries of hereditary estates and on hereditary noble titles.
Domestic appellate body on hereditary estates and titlesNukuʻalofaReviewed - Trinidad and Tobago
Court of Appeal
Appeals from the High Court and from Magistrates' Courts in civil and criminal matters.
Appellate courtPort of Spainest. 1962Reviewed - Turkmenistan
Provincial Courts
Appeals from district and city courts, and first-instance jurisdiction over serious criminal matters, as provided by the Law on Courts.
Regional appellate courtProvincial centresest. 1991Indexed - Tuvalu
Court of Appeal of Tuvalu
Appeals from the High Court in civil and criminal matters.
Intermediate appellate courtFunafutiest. 1987Reviewed - United Kingdom
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
England and Wales
Intermediate appellate courtLondonest. 1875Reviewed - United States
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Nine western states and two territories
Federal intermediate appellate courtSan Francisco, Californiaest. 1891Reviewed - Uruguay
Labour Courts of Appeal
National
Specialised labour appellate courtMontevideoReviewed - Uzbekistan
Regional and Tashkent City Courts
Appeals from district and city courts, and first-instance jurisdiction over serious criminal and higher-value civil matters.
Regional appellate courtRegional centres and Tashkentest. 1991Reviewed - Venezuela
Court of Appeals of the Caracas Metropolitan Area
Caracas Metropolitan Area
Criminal court of appealCaracasReviewed - Vietnam
Superior People's Courts
Appeals from the provincial people's courts and cassation review of district court judgments.
Regional appellate courtHanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh Cityest. 2015Reviewed