court of appeals

noun

, Law.

1. (in the U.S. federal court system and some state court systems) an appellate court intermediate between the trial courts and the court of last resort.
2. the highest appellate court of New York State.
3. Court of Appeal, British. Supreme Court of Judicature

court of appeals

1. Courts, also called appellate courts, that are designed as part of the system of due process . Cases may be presented to these courts if a party is dissatisfied with the original court's decision. An appeal must demonstrate that a new decision is warranted, usually in light of new evidence or a persuasive argument that the Constitution was improperly interpreted. A case may be appealed to successively higher state or federal appellate courts until it reaches the United States Supreme Court . There are twelve federal courts of appeal, each covering a group of states called a “circuit.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of court of appeals¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Related Words

• appeals court
• appellate court