Unit 1.2: The Court Structure - Interactive Lesson

UNIT 1: THE LEGAL SYSTEMS

1.2. The Court Structure

A. The Hierarchy of Courts

In the Common Law tradition, the court system is hierarchical. This structure is not merely administrative; it is fundamental to the doctrine of precedent (stare decisis).

A decision made by a higher court is binding on the courts below it in the hierarchy.

1. The Court System in England and Wales

• Supreme Court: The final court of appeal.
• Court of Appeal: Divided into Civil and Criminal divisions.
• High Court: Superior court for complex cases (QBD, Chancery, Family).
• Crown Court: Serious criminal offenses with judge and jury.
• Magistrates' Courts: Minor criminal cases, no jury.
• County Courts: Local civil litigation (debt, personal injury).

2. The Court System in the United States

The US operates under federalism, a dual system of Federal and State courts.

• U.S. Supreme Court: Final interpreter of the Constitution.
• U.S. Courts of Appeals: 13 regional circuits.
• U.S. District Courts: General federal trial courts.

B. Civil Courts vs. Criminal Courts

Feature	Civil Courts	Criminal Courts
Purpose	Resolve private disputes / Remedies	Punish offenses against society
Parties	Claimant/Plaintiff vs. Defendant	Prosecutor vs. Defendant
Burden of Proof	Balance of probabilities	Beyond a reasonable doubt
Outcome	Liability (Damages/Injunction)	Guilt (Punishment/Fine)

C. Vocabulary Focus

Jurisdiction: Power to decide a case.

Appellate Court: Reviews lower court decisions.

Trial Court: Court of "first instance".

Acquittal: Judgment of "not guilty".

Exercise 1: Diagramming the English Court Hierarchy

Place the courts in the correct hierarchical order (1 = Highest).

1. --Select Court-- Supreme Court of the UK Court of Appeal High Court Magistrates' Court

2. --Select Court-- Supreme Court of the UK Court of Appeal High Court Magistrates' Court

3. --Select Court-- Supreme Court of the UK Court of Appeal High Court Magistrates' Court

4. --Select Court-- Supreme Court of the UK Court of Appeal High Court Magistrates' / County Court

Exercise 2: Civil or Criminal?

1. A company sues another for breach of contract.

Civil Criminal

2. The state prosecutes an individual for bank robbery.

Civil Criminal

3. A person is charged with possession of illegal drugs.

Civil Criminal

Exercise 3: US Terminology Match

Match US Terms to their Definitions/UK Equivalents:

1. Plaintiff: --Select-- The highest court of appeal Claimant (in civil proceedings) Regional Federal Court of Appeal

2. Circuit Court: --Select-- The highest court of appeal Claimant (in civil proceedings) Regional Federal Court of Appeal

Ex 1: 1. Supreme Court, 2. Court of Appeal, 3. High Court, 4. Magistrates'/County.
Ex 2: 1. Civil, 2. Criminal, 3. Criminal.
Ex 3: 1-B, 2-C.