Courts of England and Wales

The judicial institutions that decide civil and criminal cases in England and Wales, including courts of appeal and tribunals. Their structure separates different case types while providing routes of appeal.

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Court hierarchy of England and Wales: The ordered structure of courts that hear cases at different levels and exercise distinct appellate powers. It maps the routes from first-instance hearings to the highest domestic court.
Court of Appeal of England and Wales: The appellate court that reviews decisions from lower courts in civil and criminal cases. It is the principal intermediate appeal court in the system.
Courts of Scotland: The courts that administer civil and criminal justice under Scotland’s distinct legal system. Scotland has a separate court hierarchy and legal tradition within the United Kingdom.
Common law: A legal tradition in which judicial decisions contribute to law alongside legislation and other legal sources. The courts developed through a legal tradition shaped substantially by precedent.
Access to justice: The ability of people to understand, use, and obtain fair outcomes through legal institutions. Costs, delays, and representation determine whether court remedies are practically available.
Civil procedure in England and Wales: The rules and practices governing non-criminal disputes in England and Wales. Civil procedure determines how claims enter courts, progress, and reach judgment.
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom: The United Kingdom’s highest court for most civil cases and some criminal appeals. It hears final appeals from England and Wales in specified cases.
Courts of Northern Ireland: The courts that administer civil and criminal justice under Northern Ireland’s legal system. Northern Ireland has its own courts, distinct from those in England and Wales.
Judicature Acts: Nineteenth-century British statutes that reorganized the superior courts and combined the administration of common law and equity. They helped establish the unified court structure inherited by modern England and Wales.
Legal aid in England and Wales: Public funding for legal advice and representation for eligible people in England and Wales. Legal aid can determine whether people can bring or defend court proceedings.