How is court system organized

Youth courts handle cases for young people 12 to 17 years old who are charged with an offence under federal youth justice laws. Youth courts provide protections appropriate to the age of the accused, including protecting his or her privacy. The superior courts try the most serious criminal and civil cases. These include divorce cases and cases that involve large amounts of money the minimum is set by the province or territory in question.

The jurisdiction of superior courts originally came from the first courts in England, whose authority over government actions was based on Magna Carta. Proceedings in superior courts are thus a continuation of a court process that dates right back to the beginnings of the common law system.

The superior courts also act as a court of first appeal for the provincial and territorial courts that the provinces and territories maintain. Although the provinces and territories administer superior courts, the federal government appoints and pays the judges.

In response, courts often travel "on circuit" to small or isolated areas. For example, in Nunavut, most of the communities are small and isolated from Iqaluit, the capital, so the court travels to them. The circuit court includes a judge, a clerk, a court reporter, a prosecutor, and at least one defence attorney.

They decide whether a person committed a crime and what the punishment should be. Depending on the dispute or crime, some cases end up in the federal courts and some end up in state courts. Learn more about the different types of federal courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States.

Article III of the U. Constitution created the Supreme Court and authorized Congress to pass laws establishing a system of lower courts. Learn more about the Supreme Court. There are 13 appellate courts that sit below the U. Supreme Court, and they are called the U. Courts of Appeals. The 94 federal judicial districts are organized into 12 regional circuits, each of which has a court of appeals.

Appeals courts consist of three judges and do not use a jury. District Court, the U. Court of International Trade may appeal to a U. Court of Appeals. Parties dissatisfied with the decision of the trial court may take their case to the intermediate Court of Appeals. A party may ask the U. Supreme Court to review a decision of the U.

Court of Appeals, but the Supreme Court usually is under no obligation to do so. Supreme Court is the final arbiter of federal constitutional questions. The Constitution states that federal judges are to be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They hold office during good behavior, typically, for life.

The court system is separated into three divisions:. There are no local court systems in North Carolina — our court system is one unified statewide system.

The State court system is different from the Federal court system.