Supreme Court (United Kingdom)

The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is roughly speaking the highest court in the land. It came into existence on 1 October 2009, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. It continues, with some modifications, the appellate jurisdiction of the House of Lords.

Jurisdiction

The Supreme Court hears appeals from most courts, directly or indirectly. There are exceptions:

• the High Court of Justiciary: Scottish criminal cases
• the (Judicial Committee of the) Privy Council, which hears appeals on various matters:
  • various Church of England matters
  • various Admiralty courts
  • the High Court of Chivalry (in theory; in practice, apart from one case in the 1950s, this court has been defunct since the 18th century)
  • some professional disciplinary rulings
  • claims that someone elected to the House of Commons is disqualified
• TBC