The Court System

There are a range of courts working in England to implement the criminal justice system. These are;

The county court

The magistrates court

The crown court

The high court

The court of appeal

The house of lords

The European court of justice

The European court of human rights.

All of these courts have a slightly different role. The county court will deal with civil cases and this will be presided over by either a judge or a district judge. The magistrates court will deal with mainly criminal and some civil cases. These cases are presided over by either a justice of the peace, who is unqualified but are paid only expenses for their time, or by district judges who are paid. The crown court will deal with more serious cases that require a judge and jury. It will also deal with appeals from the magistrates court and convictions that are made in the magistrates court but require sentencing.

The high court deals with mainly civil cases, as well as appeals in some criminal cases. It also has the power to review either individual or organisational decisions to make sure that parties involved have acted legally and justly. Unsurprisingly, as the name would suggest, the court of appeal deals with appeals in both civil and criminal cases. The House of Lords will then deal primarily with appeals for the court of appeal or sometimes directly from the high court. The European court of justice may deal with a case if it is one that has a basis in European law rather than in UK law. This court is based in Luxembourg. Finally, the European court of human rights deals with cases where a person believes that their human rights have been compromised and a national solution has not been reached. This court is based in Strasbourg.