Court of Appeals (Arab republics)

The 20 republics (federated states) of the Arab Union each have their own judiciary, consisting of multiple district courts subordinate to a single Court of Appeals (Arabic: محكمة الاستئناف maḥkamat al-isti’ināf), which is responsible for hearing appeals of verdicts delivered by the district courts. The Court of Appeals is the second-most senior court in a republic, subordinate only to the republican supreme court, which initially hears (typically criminal) trials affecting most or all of the republic and those otherwise deemed of high political and/or social relevance; a republican supreme court is also empowered to hear appeals of verdicts delivered by the same republic's court of appeal, although it does so at its discretion and is not obligated to, the verdict of the court of appeal normally being the ultimate verdict of routine civil and criminal trials. Like the supreme court, the republican court of appeal operates out of its own courthouse in the capital city of the respective republic. The senior justice of a republican court of appeal is called the Appellate Justice of the Republic, who is appointed by the republic's premier (head of government) and responsible for supervising 3–10 puisne (subordinate) justices; the Appellate Justice of the Republic is subordinate only to the Chief Justice of the Republic, who administers the republic's supreme court.