court of appeals

American  

Also 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. British.  Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Judicature

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court of appeals Cultural  

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.”

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Etymology

Origin of court of appeals

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

State Department’s decision to send him back to Peru, but a court of appeals denied his latest motion and a federal judge ordered him to surrender.

From Washington Times

State Department’s decision to send him back to Peru, but a court of appeals denied his latest motion this week and a federal judge ordered him to surrender.

From Washington Times

District Court in Maryland after orders by a federal court judge in Texas and a court of appeals this month required the agency to revoke its approval of generic mifepristone.

From Washington Post

She said the court of appeals judges “badly misread” documents about its safety and said the number of patients who might require emergency care after a medication abortion is “extremely low.”

From Washington Post

He won in Quebec's Supreme Court, but that ruling was overturned by the province's court of appeals, bringing it to the Supreme Court of Canada.

From Reuters

Related Words

• appeals court
• appellate court