What type of courts are there

The state is divided into district court districts where the court usually sits in the county seat of each county. Each district has a chief district court judge who manages the administrative duties of the court. Magistrates hold court in both civil and criminal matters as officers of the district court under the authority of the chief district court judge.

For criminal matters, magistrates conduct certain preliminary proceedings and are authorized to dispose of some cases by pleas of guilt or by trial. The tribunals system has its own structure for dealing with cases and appeals, but decisions from different chambers of the Upper Tribunal, and the Employment Appeals Tribunal, may also go to the Court of Appeal.

The courts structure covers England and Wales; the tribunals system covers England, Wales, and in some cases Northern Ireland and Scotland. The diagrams in the links below show the routes taken by different cases as they go through the courts system, and which judges deal with each.

Tribunals structure chart PDF, opens in a new tab updated April A civil case is a dispute not involving a criminal offence. This can be between one or more people, organisations or businesses and often involves money.

Whether a civil case is heard on the Local or Supreme Court depends on nature of the complaint and the amount of money the claims involves. A criminal case is where a person is charged with a criminal offence by police or another authority. Whether a criminal case is heard in the Local or Supreme Court depends on the nature and seriousness of the offence.

There are no longer any sitting magistrates in the NT.