Superior court
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" relative to a court with limited jurisdiction (see lower court), which is restricted to civil cases involving monetary amounts with a specific limit, or criminal cases involving offenses of a less serious nature. A superior court may hear appeals from lower courts (see court of appeal).
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[edit] Canada
Superior Courts in Canada exist at the provincial and territorial levels. The superior courts are the courts of first instance for divorce petitions, civil lawsuits involving claims greater than small claims, and criminal prosecutions for "indictable offences". They also perform a reviewing function for judgements from the local "inferior" courts and administrative decisions by provincial or territorial government entities such as labour boards, human rights tribunals and licensing authorities.
[edit] United States
In a number of jurisdictions in the United States, the Superior Court is a state trial court of general jurisdiction with power to hear and decide any civil or criminal action which is not specially designated to be heard in some other court. California and Georgia are examples of such jurisdictions. Likewise, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia is a trial court of general jurisdiction. This usage is somewhat unusual in a general English context, as the Superior Court is superior to no other court in the jurisdiction; other courts hear appeals from the Superior court. The next level of courts is called the Appeals court. In the appeals court 3 judges decide if the judge in the Trial court interpreted the law wrong. If the judges believe that this is so then the case is brought down to the trial court once again.
In Pennsylvania, the Superior Court is an appellate court. In New Jersey, the Superior Court comprises trial courts of general jurisdiction, courts of equity, and an appellate division.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- California Courts-the Judicial Branch of California
- Los Angeles Superior Court
Maricopa County, Arizona Superior Court (includes criminal, civil, probate, juvenile, and justice court case information, calendars, and minutes entries) *http://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov
