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court of appeals

noun phrase, often capitalized C&A

Definition of court of appeals

: a court hearing appeals from the decisions of lower courts

— called also court of appeal

First Known Use of court of appeals

1768, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for court of appeals

court of appeals

noun

English Language Learners Definition of court of appeals

law
: a court that studies the decisions made by a lower court and decides if they were correct
US : any one of 13 courts in the U.S. below the Supreme Court
British : the highest court in Britain below the House of Lords

court of appeals

Legal Definition of court of appeals

: a court hearing appeals from the decisions of lower courts: as
a : an intermediate court of the U.S. federal judicial system
b : a state appellate court

— called also court of appeal

Note: Not all of the states have intermediate-level courts but of those that do, many are called the Court of Appeals or, in California and Louisiana, the Court of Appeal. In Hawaii, such a court is called the Intermediate Court of Appeals. In some states, appeals are divided between a court of criminal appeals and a court of civil appeals. In the District of Columbia, Maryland, and New York the court of last resort is called the Court of Appeals, and the intermediate court in Maryland is called the Court of Special Appeals. In West Virginia the court of last resort is called the Supreme Court of Appeals. In England the Court of Appeal is a division of the Supreme Court of Judicature.

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