A jury trial,or trial by jury,is a legal proceeding in which a jury makes a decision or findings of fact. It is distinguished from a bench trial,in which a judge or panel of judges makes all decisions.
The Courts of England and Wales,supported administratively by His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service,are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in England and Wales.
In common law systems,a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction,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. For courts of general jurisdiction in civil law system,see ordinary court.
Small-claims courts have limited jurisdiction to hear civil cases between private litigants. Courts authorized to try small claims may also have other judicial functions,and go by different names in different jurisdictions. For example,it may be known as a county or magistrate's court. These courts can be found in Australia,Brazil,Canada,England and Wales,Hong Kong,Ireland,Israel,Greece,New Zealand,Philippines,Scotland,Singapore,South Africa,Nigeria and the United States.
The Judiciary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the judicial branch of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Under the Basic Law of Hong Kong,it exercises the judicial power of the Region and is independent of the executive and legislative branches of the Government. The courts in Hong Kong hear and adjudicate all prosecutions and civil disputes,including all public and private law matters.
The law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has its foundation in the English common law system,inherited from being a former British colony and dependent territory. There are several sources of law,the primary ones being statutes enacted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and case law made by decisions of the courts of Hong Kong.
The courts of Scotland are responsible for administration of justice in Scotland,under statutory,common law and equitable provisions within Scots law. The courts are presided over by the judiciary of Scotland,who are the various judicial office holders responsible for issuing judgments,ensuring fair trials,and deciding on sentencing. The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland,subject to appeals to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom,and the High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court,which is only subject to the authority of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on devolution issues and human rights compatibility issues.
The Department of Justice (DoJ),is the department responsible for the laws of Hong Kong headed by the Secretary for Justice. Before 1997,the names of the department and the position was the Legal Department (律政署) and Attorney General (律政司) respectively. The Department of Justice provides legal advice to other departments in the government system,“drafts government bills,makes prosecution decisions,and promotes the rule of law”.
The High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is a part of the legal system of Hong Kong. It consists of the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance;it deals with criminal and civil cases which have risen beyond the lower courts. It is a superior court of record of unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction. It was named the Supreme Court before 1997. Though previously named the Supreme Court,this Court has long been the local equivalent to the Senior Courts of England and Wales and has never been vested with the power of final adjudication.
The Supreme Court of Hong Kong was the highest court in Hong Kong prior to the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China in 1997 and heard cases of first instance and appeals from the District and Magisrates Courts as well as certain tribunals. The Supreme Court was from 1976 made up of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal of the High Court of Hong Kong is the second most senior court in the Hong Kong legal system. It deals with appeals on all civil and criminal cases from the Court of First Instance and the District Court. It is one of two courts that makes up the High Court of Hong Kong. Sometimes criminal appeals from Magistrates' Courts with general public importance are also dealt with in the Court of Appeal,either by referral by a single judge from the Court of First Instance,or upon granting of leave on application for review by the Secretary for Justice.
The District Court is the intermediate court system in Hong Kong,having limited criminal and civil jurisdictions. The District Court was established in 1953 with the enactment of the District Court Ordinance. It is located in the Wanchai Law Courts,Wanchai Tower,12 Harbour Road. In the past there were six district courts,namely Victoria,Kowloon,Fanling,Tsuen Wan,Tuen Mun and Sha Tin,before being amalgamated and moved to the same location in March 1991.
The courts of Northern Ireland are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in Northern Ireland:they are constituted and governed by the law of Northern Ireland.
In most legal jurisdictions,a supreme court,also known as a court of last resort,apex court,and highcourt of appeal,and court of final appeal,is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking,the decisions of a supreme court are binding on all other courts in a nation and are not subject to further review by any other court. Supreme courts typically function primarily as appellate courts,hearing appeals from decisions of lower trial courts,or from intermediate-level appellate courts. A supreme court can also,in certain circumstances,act as a court of original jurisdiction.
The judiciary of Belgium is similar to the French judiciary. Belgium evolved from a unitary to a federal state,but its judicial system has not been adapted to a federal system.
Cannabis is illegal in Hong Kong. The possession,sale,transportation,and cultivation of cannabis is prohibited under the Dangerous Drug Ordinance,which was put into effect at January 17,1969,during the British colonial period.
Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah is a Hong Kong Senior Counsel,arbitrator and politician. She served as Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong from 2018 to 2022. She was also the chairperson of the Financial Dispute Resolution Centre,the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) and vice-president of the International Council of Commercial Arbitration (ICCA).
Andrew Chan Hing-wai is a Hong Kong judge who hears and tries criminal cases. He has served as a Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court since August 2012.
Paul Lam Ting-kwok is a Hong Kong Senior Counsel,currently serving as the 5th Secretary for Justice since July 2022.
Sham Tsz Kit v Secretary for Justice [2023] HKCFA 28 is a landmark Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal case which ruled that the right to form registered partnerships is guaranteed to same-sex couples by the right to privacy under Article 14 of the Bill of Rights.
