Courts of England and Wales
One chain of civil courts and one of criminal courts, both ending at the UK Supreme Court, with a separate system of tribunals for many public-law disputes. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own systems.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
UK Supreme CourtFinal court for civil cases, and for criminal cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Civil and family
Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
High CourtKing's Bench, Chancery and Family Divisions
County CourtMost civil trials
Criminal
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
Crown CourtSerious crimes, often with a jury
Magistrates' CourtMost crimes begin here
Tribunals
Upper Tribunal
First-tier TribunalImmigration, tax, benefits and more
Worth knowing
- In Scotland the highest civil court is the Court of Session and the highest criminal court is the High Court of Justiciary. The UK Supreme Court hears Scottish civil appeals, but not criminal ones.
- There is no constitutional court. Courts can interpret and apply the Human Rights Act but cannot strike down Acts of Parliament.
- The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council hears appeals from some Commonwealth countries and territories.
Compare England and Wales with another country →
Read the England and Wales profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Sources
Other systems
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TheLawToKnow Tools’s court-structure diagrams are simplified on purpose and are not legal advice. Report a mistake.
