Courts and cases Belgium (Lexadin)

COURTS AND CASES BELGIUM

Administrative Supreme Court / Appellate Courts / Commercial Courts / Constitutional Court / Court of Audit / First Instance Courts / Judiciary (general) / Jurisprudence (Case Law) / Labor Appellate Courts / Labor Courts / Minor Courts Justices of the Peace / Supreme Courts (Highest Instance) / Judicial Map

Constitutional Court

Grondwettelijk Hof/ Cour Constitutionelle

The Constitutional Court is the guardian of the constitution. The Court has the power to annul and suspend laws, decrees and ordinances. The court is independent of the legislative, the executive and the judiciary authorities. The Court is conposed of twelve judges.

Cour Constitutionelle / Grondwettelijk Hof

Supreme Courts (Highest Instance)

Hof van Cassatie / Cour de Cassation

The Court of Cassation is the highest appeal level, dealing only with points of law, no new facts can be brought before this court. The court consists of three chambers in which each chamber has a french and a dutch division. Each division of a chamber is lead by a chairman and consist of 5 or 6 judges.

Cour de cassation / Hof van Cassatie

Appellate Courts

Hof van Beroep / Cour d'Appel

The Court of Appeal hears appeals against decisions of the Courts of First Instance and the Commercial Courts (labour court decisions can only be appealed against to the Court of Labour). There are five Courts of Appeal in Belgium, each whith a territorial jurisdiction, it hears appeals against the decisions of the Courts of First Instance and the Commercial Courts of the judicial arrondissements within its jurisdiction.

Serious criminal cases, political offences and crimes of international law (genocide and crimes against humanity) are dealt by the Courts of Assize, The court consists of three judges and 12 jurors. It is the only court in Belgium in which cases are heard by a jury. The courts are located in each of the ten provinces of Belgium and do not have a permanent structure but are constituted for each specific case. It comprises three professional judges and 12 jurors.

Cour d'Appel / Hof van Beroep Antwerpen
Cour d'Appel / Hof van Beroep Brussel
Cour d'Appel / Hof van Beroep Gent
Cour d'Appel / Hof van Beroep Liege
Cour d'Appel / Hof van Beroep Mons
Hoven van Assisen / Cour d'Assises

First Instance Courts

Rechtbank / Tribunal de Premiere Instance

The Courts of First Instance consists of three divisions: the Civil Court, the Correctional Court and the Juvenile Court. Each Judicial District (Arrondissement) has it's own Court of First Instance.

Minor Courts Justices of the Peace

Politierechter / Tribunal de Police

The Police Court deals with minor offences, infractions, traffic offences and in civil cases deals with traffic accident related compensation claims.

Administrative Supreme Court

Raad van State / Conseil d'Etat

Court of Audit

Cour de Comptes / Rekenhof

Labor Appellate Courts

Arbeidshof / Cour du Travai

The Labor Appellate Courts are the courts thathears appeals against decisions of the Labour Court. The courts have the same territorial jurisdiction as have the Courts of Appeal.

Cour du Travail / ArbeidsHof van Antwerpen
Cour du Travail / ArbeidsHof van Brussel
Cour du Travail / ArbeidsHof van Gent
Cour du Travail / ArbeidsHof van Liege
Cour du Travail / ArbeidsHof van Mons

Labor Courts

Tribunal du Travail / Arbeidsrechtbank

The Labour Courts deal in first instance with disputes between employers and employees and disputes regarding social security. Each Belgium judicial arrondisement has it's own labour court.

Commercial Courts

Jurisprudence (Case Law)

Arresten van het Hof van Cassatie
Jurisprudence Juridat
Rechtspraak Arbitragehof zorgvuldig bestuur
Rechtspraak Juridat
Rechtspraak Vreemdelingenrecht
Rechtspraak van de Raad voor de Mededinging (Hof van Beroep Brussel)

Judiciary (general)

Federale Overheidsdienst
Openbaar Ministerie