The United Kingdom has three legal systems. Englishlaw, which applies in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland law, which applies in Northern Ireland, are based on common-lawprinciples. Scots law, which applies in Scotland, is a pluralistic system based oncivil-law principles, with common law elements dating back to the High MiddleAges. The Treaty of Union, put into effect by the Acts of Union in 1707,guaranteed the continued existence of a separate law system for Scotland. The Acts of Union between Great Britain and Ireland in 1800 contained no equivalentprovision but preserved the principle of separate courts to be held in Ireland, now Northern Ireland.
The Appellate Committee ofthe House of Lords (usually just referred to, as "The House ofLords") is the highest court in the land for all criminal and civil casesin England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and for all civil cases in Scotslaw. Recent constitutional changes will see the powers of the House of Lordstransfer to a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
In England and Wales, the court system is headed by theSupreme Court of England and Wales, consisting of the Court of Appeal,the High Court of Justice (for civil cases) and the Crown Court (for criminalcases). The Courts of Northern Ireland follow the same pattern. In Scotland the chief courts are the Court ofSession, for civil cases, and the High Court of Justiciary, for criminal cases,while the sheriff court is the Scottish equivalent of the county court.
The Judicial Committee ofthe Privy Council is the highest court of appeal for several independentCommonwealth countries, the British overseas territories, and the British Crowndependencies. There are also courts with UK-wide jurisdiction ? the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal andSpecial Immigration Appeals Commission. The tribunals and theEmployment Appeal Tribunal have jurisdiction throughout Great Britain, but not Northern Ireland.
At youcan be assured that our helpful staff will do their utmost to ensure that yourlegal needs are met with the utmost of skill and understanding.
