VOCABULARLY

Petty crimes less serious crimes Defendant person who is sued Appellant person who appeals to a higher court Appellant courts courts that review judgments /decisions of lower courts Appeal to disagree with a lower courts decision Leave for appeal permission to go to a higher court Plaintiff person who is suing Minor a person between the age of 14 and 17 Indictable offences serious crime such as murder, drug dealing, theft, assault

THE COURT SYSTEM IN ENGLAND AND WALES Both criminal and civil courts in England and Wales primarily hear evidence and aim to determine what exactly happened in a case. In general the lower courts decide matters of facts and the upper courts deal with points of law. LOWER COURTS MAGISTRATES COURT 95% of all criminal cases in England and Wales are tried in Magistrate Court which deals with petty crimes. The Magistrate Court is the lowest criminal courts. In certain circumstances the court may commit a person to the Crown Court for more severe cases and severe punishment in front of a judge and jury. Minors must always be tried by a Youth Court. In almost all criminal cases the state prosecutes a person. In England and Wales a jury of 12 people decides whether the defendant is guilty or innocent. HIGHER COURTS COUNTY COURTS Civil cases are heard firstly in the County Courts or the High Court, which is divided into three divisions: Queen's Bench, Family and Chancery. The Chancery Division considers complex matters such as disputes about wills, trusts, bankruptcy, land law, intellectual property and corporate laws. The Queen's Bench Division deals with business matters such as contracts, torts or land disputes. The Queen's Bench Division has some specialist subdivisions, including a Commercial Court, which deals with large and complex business disputes. The Family Division deals with matrimonial matters, the Children Act 1989 (the law about children and parental responsibility) the Child Abduction and Custody Act 1985, domestic violence and adoption. APPEALS If the case is in the county court (civil) it can be appealed to civil division of the Court of Appeal. If the case is in the Crown Court (criminal) it can be appealed to Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal. In other words appealed on points of law to the High Court (Queen's Bench Division) and appeals against conviction and sentence are made to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). The House of Lords is the supreme court of appeal the court of last resort. The House of Lords consist of 12 judges or barristers.

In addition to the courts there are specialised Tribunals, which hear appeals on decisions, made by various public bodies and Government departments, in areas such as employment, immigration, social security, tax and land.

In class handout The English Court System