Information not obtained. The Crown Court handles the serious criminal cases. Appeals from the Crown Court are brought to the Court of Appeal. The administration of the court system is the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor. The Northern Ireland Office, under the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, deals with substantive law, the police and the running of the penal system.
Juvenile courts are similarly divided.
The county courts are also geographically divided. Appeals from Magistrates courts against conviction or sentence are heard by a higher court, which is generally the County Court, whose own jurisdiction is primarily on civil law matters. An appeal on a point of law may be heard by the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal, which also serves as the appellate court for the Crown Court in Northern Ireland. There is a provision for appeal from the Court of Northern Ireland to the House of Lords. Cases involving persons under age 17 are dealt with in juvenile courts by a resident magistrate sitting with two lay magistrates, one of whom must be a woman.