Courts of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

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The Courts of the United Kingdom are separated into three separate jurisidictions, the Courts of England and Wales, Courts of Scotland and the Courts of Northern Ireland, as the United Kingdom does not have a single unified judicial system.

However, in the area of immigration law, the respective jurisdictions of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal and the Special Immigration Appeals Commission cover all of the United Kingdom; in employment law, Employment tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal have jurisdiction in the whole of Great Britain (i.e., not in Northern Ireland).

The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 created a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom to take over the judicial functions of the House of Lords and devolution cases from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.^[1][2] The Supreme Court began work in 2009, and serves as the highest court of appeal in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland, and for civil cases in Scotland.^[3] The High Court of Justiciary remains the court of last resort in Scotland for criminal cases.^[4]

For details of the courts in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom see:

• Courts of England and Wales
• Courts of Northern Ireland
• Courts of Scotland

See also

• English law
• Scots law
• Northern Ireland law

References

1. ^ "Constitutional reform: A Supreme Court for the United Kingdom" (PDF). Department for Constitutional Affairs. http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/supremecourt/supreme.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-02. 
2. ^ "Part 3, Constitutional Reform Act 2005". Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom 4: p. 3. 2005-03-24. http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/documents/2005/4/ukpga/c4/part3. Retrieved 2009-09-02 
3. ^ "Role of the Supreme Court". Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. http://www.supremecourt.gov.uk/about/role-of-the-supreme-court.html. Retrieved 2009-09-02. 
4. ^ "Section 40, Part 3, Constitutional Reform Act 2005". Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom 4: p. 3(40)(3). 2005-03-24. http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/documents/2005/4/ukpga/c4/part3/40. Retrieved 2009-09-02. "An appeal lies to the Court from any order or judgment of a court in Scotland if an appeal lay from that court to the House of Lords at or immediately before the commencement of this section."