Long description

This figure consists of a series of boxes, representing various courts. Upward-pointing arrows show the route of appeals from one court to another. Mauve boxes represent courts of first instance, which hear only new cases, and light brown boxes represent appellate courts, which hear only appeals. At the bottom of the figure there are two mauve boxes side by side, representing two courts of first instance. These are labelled ‘The County Court’ and ‘Magistrates’ Courts (jurisdiction on a limited range of civil matters)’. One arrow from each of the ‘The County Court’ and ‘Magistrates’ Courts (jurisdiction on a limited range of civil matters)’ boxes goes up to a light brown box labelled ‘Divisional Courts of the High Court’, showing that these are appellate courts. Next to this light brown box is a mauve box labelled ‘The High Court: Queen’s Bench, Family and Chancery Divisions’, showing that these are courts of first instance. One arrow from each of the ‘Divisional Courts of the High Court’ and ‘The High Court: Queen’s Bench, Family and Chancery Divisions’ boxes goes up to a light brown box labelled ‘Court of Appeal (Civil Division), showing that this is an appellate court. An arrow from the ‘Court of Appeal (Civil Division)’ box goes up to the light brown box at the figure, which is labelled ‘Supreme Court’, showing that this is the highest UK appellate court.