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A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate between parties and administer justice in civil, Criminal law, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law.
Courts generally consist of Judge or other , and are usually established and dissolved through legislation enacted by a legislature. Courts may also be established by constitution or an equivalent constituting instrument.
The practical authority given to the court is known as its jurisdiction, which describes the court's power to decide certain kinds of questions, or Petition put to it. There are various kinds of courts, including , , administrative courts, international courts, and .
The system of courts that interprets and applies the law is collectively known as the judiciary. The place where a court sits is known as a venue. The room where court proceedings occur is known as a courtroom, and the building as a courthouse; court facilities range from simple and very small facilities in rural communities to large complex facilities in urban communities.
The practical authority given to the court is known as its jurisdiction (from Latin iūrisdictiō, from iūris, "of the law", + dīcō, "to declare", + -tiō, noun-forming suffix), the court's power to decide certain kinds of questions or petitions put to it. According to William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, a court (for ) is constituted by a minimum of three parties: the āctor or plaintiff, who complains of an injury done; the reus or defendant, who is called upon to make satisfaction for it; and the jūdex or judicial power, who is to examine the truth of the fact, determine the law arising upon that fact, and, if any injury appears to have been done, ascertain and by its officers apply a legal remedy. It is also usual in the superior courts to have barristers, and attorneys or counsel, as assistants, though, often, courts consist of additional barristers, , reporters, and perhaps a jury.
The meaning of a judicial assembly is first attested in the 12th century, and derives from the earlier usage to designate a sovereign and his entourage, which met to adjudicate disputes in such an enclosed yard. The verb "to court", meaning to win favor, derives from the same source since people traveled to the sovereign's court to win his favor.
The term the court is used to refer to the Chairman or officials, usually one or more . The judge or panel of judges may also be collectively referred to as "the bench" (in contrast to attorneys and , collectively referred to as "the bar").See generally : "The Supreme Court of the United States shall consist of a Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices " (italics added); : "Each court of appeals shall consist of the circuit judges of the circuit in regular active service." (italics added); (in part): "Each district court shall consist of the district judge or judges for the district in regular active service." (italics added); (in part): "In each judicial district, the bankruptcy judges in regular active service shall constitute a unit of the district court to be known as the bankruptcy court for that district " (italics added). In the United States, the legal authority of a court to take action is based on personal jurisdiction over the parties to the litigation and subject-matter jurisdiction over the claims asserted.
The system of courts that interprets and applies the law is collectively known as the judiciary. The place where a court sits is known as a venue. The room where court proceedings occur is known as a courtroom, and the building as a courthouse; court facilities range from simple and very small facilities in rural communities to large complex facilities in urban communities.
"Whether a given court has jurisdiction to preside over a given case" is a key question in any legal action. Jurisdiction, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Three basic components of jurisdiction are personal jurisdiction over an individual or thing (rēs), jurisdiction over the particular subject matter (subject-matter jurisdiction) and territorial jurisdiction. Jurisdiction over a person refers to the full authority over a person regardless of where they live, jurisdiction over a particular subject matter refers to the authority over the said subject of legal cases involved in a case, and lastly territorial jurisdiction is the authority over a person within an x amount of space.
Other concepts of jurisdiction include general, exclusive, appellate, and (in the United States federal courts) diversity jurisdiction.
are courts that hear of lower courts and trial courts.
Some courts, such as the Crown Court in England and Wales, may have both trial and appellate jurisdictions.
Civil law is firmly ensconced in the French and German legal systems. Common law courts were established by English royal judges of the King's Council after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The royal judges created a body of law by combining local customs they were made aware of through traveling and visiting local jurisdictions. This common standard of law became known as "Common Law". This legal tradition is practiced in the English law and American legal systems. In most civil law jurisdictions, courts function under an inquisitorial system. In the common law system, most courts follow the adversarial system. Procedural law governs the rules by which courts operate: civil procedure for private disputes (for example); and criminal procedure for violation of the criminal law. In recent years, international courts are being created to resolve matters not covered by the jurisdiction of national courts. For example, the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, in the Netherlands, or the Court of Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services), based in India.
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