The court structure in the United States is unique in the sense that it consists of two different court systems namely the federal and the state court systems. Each of the court systems is charged with the adjudication of different disputes though they work in cooperation. Cases usually commence at the lower courts and work their way up the higher courts.
Most of the legal issues are arbitrated at the State trial courts which exercise both criminal and civil jurisdiction. Most states in the United States have two levels of trial courts: those with a limited jurisdiction and those that are vested with specific jurisdiction. Trial courts with limited jurisdiction include the municipal courts, the magistrate courts and county courts. Trial courts with special jurisdiction only hear cases limited to specific areas of law and include probate courts, juvenile courts and family courts.
This system in the American court structure is good and can be borrowed into the United Arab Emirates court system as it helps avoid a backlog of cases. The backlog is eased by the presence of specialized courts. Further, the specialized courts ensure that judicial officers are specialties in the relevant field and the cases are disposed timely without being bogged down by other cases as they involve matters of great importance such as family and inheritance. Each State also has a Supreme Court which acts as a court of last resort in the State and reviews the decision of the lower courts but is not a trial court.
Next in the structure of the courts in America are the federal courts which are divided into circuits and districts. These courts hear mostly civil cases that are within the jurisdiction of the federal government. The federal courts also have specialty courts such as tax courts, bankruptcy courts and court of veteran appeals. At the apex of the court structure in the United States is the Supreme Court which is the final arbitrator and consists of Nine Justices appointed by the President and approved by the Senate. The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is of a limited nature in the sense that it hears only a limited number of cases. The hearing of a case is dependent on its implications for the general public or a certain group and not those that impact only on individuals. Such a practice of limiting matters that can be heard by the Supreme Court is good and can be borrowed so far as it prevents the bogging down of the Court with several matters filed by individuals thereby hampering the work of the court in developing jurisprudence. However, the complexity of the system and the many courts in the American structure is prohibitive and impedes access to justice especially to the marginalized and as such, should be discouraged
References
Edwards, L. (2006). The Future of the Juvenile Court: Promising New Directions. Journal Issue: The Juvenile Court, 14-16.
Robinson, N. (2013). Structure Matters: The Impact of Court Structure on the Indian and U.S Supreme Courts. American Journal of Comparative Law, 1-38.
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