Legal Definitions - court of appeals

Definition: A court of appeals is a type of court that hears appeals from lower courts. These lower courts can be trial courts or other appeals courts. The court of appeals reviews the decisions made by the lower courts and decides if they were correct or not.

Example: Let's say that a person is convicted of a crime in a trial court. If they believe that the trial court made a mistake, they can appeal the decision to a court of appeals. The court of appeals will review the trial court's decision and determine if it was made correctly or if there were errors that need to be corrected.

Another example: A person may also appeal a decision made by an administrative agency, such as the Social SecurityAdministration or the Environmental Protection Agency, to a court of appeals. The court of appeals will review the agency's decision and determine if it was made correctly or if there were errors that need to be corrected.

These examples illustrate how a court of appeals functions as a higher court that reviews decisions made by lower courts or administrative agencies. Its purpose is to ensure that the law is being applied correctly and fairly.