How do the UK's courts work?
The nutshell
Courts are where the law is used to settle arguments and to decide if someone has broken the law. The UK has different courts for different jobs, from small local cases all the way up to the Supreme Court, the highest court of all.
Every fact on this page comes from official court guides and non-partisan explainers. Each source tag — like Jud — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
What courts are for
A court is where the law is used to settle a case. A judge, and sometimes a jury, listens to both sides and decides what the law says should happen. Courts split into two main kinds. Criminal courts deal with people accused of breaking the law. Civil courts settle arguments between people or organisations, like an argument over money or a home.Jud
Where a case starts
Nearly every criminal case starts in a magistrates' court. Magistrates deal with the less serious crimes themselves. The most serious crimes, like murder or robbery, are passed up to the Crown Court.GOVIn the Crown Court a jury of twelve members of the public decides if the person is guilty, and a judge decides the sentence. Most civil cases start in the County Court.Jud
Courts on top of courts
The courts are stacked in order, like steps. When a court is thought to have got a decision wrong, the losing side can often appeal, which means asking a higher court to look at the case again. Appeals move up through the High Court and the Court of Appeal.Jud At the very top sits the UK Supreme Court. It is the highest court in the country and, in most cases, the final place an appeal can go.UKSC
Courts and the government
Judges are separate from the government and from Parliament. A court decides a case using the law, not what a minister wants. Through a process called judicial review, a court can even check whether the government itself has acted within the law, and can rule a decision unlawful.IfG
- Judges are independent of the government, so a case is decided on the law and not on politics
- In the most serious criminal trials, a jury of twelve members of the public decides guilt, not a minister
- A person who thinks a court made the wrong decision can usually ask a higher court to look again
- Many cases wait a long time to be heard, and the backlog of Crown Court cases has grown in recent years
- Going to court can be slow and costly, which can put it out of reach for people on lower incomes
- Legal words and court rules are hard to follow, so the system can be confusing without a lawyer
The deep end6 min
Two ladders of courts
England and Wales run two main ladders of courts. Criminal cases climb from the magistrates' court to the Crown Court. Civil cases climb from the County Court to the High Court. Above both sits the Court of Appeal, which is split into a Criminal Division and a Civil Division.Jud Scotland and Northern Ireland each run a separate court system.
Criminal courts and civil courts
A criminal court decides whether a person accused of a crime is guilty, and what the punishment should be. Nearly all criminal cases begin in a magistrates' court, and the most serious, such as murder, rape or robbery, are passed up to the Crown Court.GOV In the Crown Court a jury of twelve members of the public decides guilt, and a judge passes sentence. A civil court settles arguments that are not crimes, such as debts, injuries or housing.Jud
Appeals and the Supreme Court
When a court is thought to have made a mistake, the losing side can often appeal, asking a higher court to review the decision. Criminal appeals move up to the Court of Appeal, and civil appeals pass through the High Court and the Court of Appeal.Jud At the top of the whole system is the UK Supreme Court. It is the highest court in the United Kingdom and, in most cases, the final court of appeal. The Supreme Court hears appeals on arguable points of law of the greatest public importance — for the whole UK in civil cases, and for England, Wales and Northern Ireland in criminal cases.UKSC
Courts, government and judicial independence
A core idea in the system is that judges are independent. A court decides a case on the law, not on what the government of the day wants. That independence also lets courts check the government itself. Through judicial review, a person or organisation can challenge whether a government decision was lawful, and a court can declare that decision unlawful or quash it, according to the Institute for Government.IfG