Appellate Court
In short
An appellate court reviews decisions made by lower trial courts to ensure the law was applied correctly. It does not hold new trials or listen to new witness testimony.
In plain words
When someone thinks a judge made a mistake in a trial, they ask a higher court to check the work. This higher court looks at the legal arguments rather than starting the case from scratch.
A simple example
If a person loses a lawsuit because the judge misunderstood a specific law, they can ask an appellate court to review that legal error. The appellate court then decides if the original ruling should stay or be changed.
Why it matters
It acts as a safety net to fix mistakes made during initial trials. This ensures that legal rules are applied fairly and consistently across the whole country.
Easy to mix up
Do not confuse it with a trial court, which focuses on finding facts and hearing witnesses.