Text 2. The Court System of England and Wales The most common type of law court in England and Wales is the magistrates’ court. There are about 700 magistrates’ courts and about 30,000 magistrates there. Simple matters are considered by magistrates. Magistrates inflict punishment that can seldom exceed six months imprisonment. But mostly, it is a fine. More serious criminal cases go to the Crown Court, which has 90 branches in different towns and cities. As for the civil cases, they are tried in the county courts or in the High Court of Justice. These courts deal with the matters connected with property rights, family relations, business and so on. The legal system also includes juvenile and coroners’ courts. Juvenile courts deal with offenders under seventeen and coroners’ courts investigate violent, sudden or unnatural deaths. Besides, there are administrative tribunals. They deal with professional standards, disputes between individuals, and disputes between individuals and government departments (for example, over taxation). The intermediate appellate tribunal in England is the Court of Appeal. It hears appeals from the High Court and from specialized tribunals. The Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal hears appeals from criminal courts of inferior instances. Until 2009 the highest court in England and Wales was the House of Lords. At present, the Supreme Court is the final court of appeal in the UK for civil cases. It hears appeals in criminal cases from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It hears cases of the greatest public or constitutional importance affecting the whole population.
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