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A court is an official, public forum which a public power establishes by lawful authority to adjudicate disputes, and to dispense civil, labour, administrative and criminal justice under the law.
Some courts may function with a jury that make decisions about the facts before the court under the direction of the judge; in other courts, such as appellate courts, judges make all the decisions (though some countries run jury courts in appeal). The extent of a court's power to hear the various matters which come before it—its " jurisdiction"—may stem from a constitutional provision, from an Act of Parliament or from an enabling statute. In most civil law jurisdictions courts function under an inquisitorial system. In the common lawThis article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). The common-law legal system forms a major part of the law of many c system most courts follow the adversarial system. Procedural lawProcedural law comprises the rules by which a court hears and determines what happens in civil or criminal proceedings. The rules are designed to ensure a fair and consistent application of due process (in the U. or fundamental justice (in other common la governs the rules by which courts operate: civil procedureCivil procedure is the written set of rules that sets out the process that courts will follow when hearing cases of a civil nature (a "civil action"). These rules explain how a lawsuit must be commenced, what kind of service of process is required, the ty for private disputes (for example); and criminal procedureCriminal procedure is the process used in dealing with violations of criminal law. Like most aspects of law it often works differently in jurisdictions that follow the civil law tradition and common law. The majority of civil law jurisdictions use procedu for violation of the criminal lawCriminal law (also known as penal law is the body of law that regulates governmental sanctions (such as imprisonment and/or fines) as retaliation for crimes against the social order. The goal of this process is that of achieving criminal justice. Accordin.
Both unipersonal and pluripersonal courts exist. The various matters which come before a pluripersonal court usually come into the ambit of a particular judgeFor the hardcore band Judge see Judge (band A judge or justice is an appointed or elected official who presides over a court. The powers, functions, and training of judges varies widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. A judge can also be simply a quali, or of a judicial officer (such as a court commissioner ) serving in the capacity of a judge pro tem . Every court has a presiding judge and may have one or more other judges and/or judicial officers assigned to various court departments.
The actual enclosed space in which a judge regularly holds court is called a courtroom. In common lawThis article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). The common-law legal system forms a major part of the law of many c jurisdictions, there are certain traditions as to how courtrooms are decorated and organized, which together emphasize the power of the state for all who enter.
First, the walls are always partially or completely wood-paneled.
The judge always sits behind a raised desk, known as the bench. Behind him are the great seal of the jurisdiction and the flags of the appropriate federal and state governments (or just the national government in unitary jurisdictions).
Adjacent to the bench are the witness stand and the desks where the court clerk and the court reporter sit. The courtroom is divided into two parts by a waist-high wooden barrier known as the bar. The bailiffUnited States courtroom Bailiff (from Late Latin bajulivus adjectival form of bajulus is a governor or custodian; cf. Bail), a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their offic stands against one wall and keeps order in the courtroom.
On one side is the judge's bench, the tables for the plaintiff, the defendant, and their respective counsel, and a separate group of seats known as the jury box where the jury sits. Apart from the parties to the case and any witnesses, only the lawyers can literally pass the bar (court personnel and jury members usually enter through separate doors), and this is why the term "the bar" has come to refer to the legal profession as a whole. There is usually a podium between the two tables where the lawyers may stand when they argue before the judge.
The other side of the bar is open to the general public and there are usually seats for curious spectators.