Tribunals in Australia deal with administrative and civil matters. Appeals against most tribunals lie with the Court of Appeal.The Court of Appeal is a division of the Supreme Court of Australia.

France

France has a dual legal system which classifies courts into judicial courts (dealing with private law) and administrative courts (dealing with public/administrative law).
France has a three-tier tribunal system within the category of administrative courts.
- The first tier is Tribunal Administratif (Administrative Court), which has jurisdiction covering all administrative matters.
- The appeals against Tribunal Administratif lie to Cour Administrative d’appeal (Administrative Court of appeal).
- The third tier is the Counseil d’Etat, which finally adjudicates on appeals against the first and second tier.
- The appellate courts do not have jurisdiction of judicial review over subordinate courts.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has a two-tier tribunal system, which consists of: (i) a First Tier Tribunal, and (ii) an Upper Tribunal.
- The appeals against the First Tier Tribunal lie with the Upper Tribunal.
  - Within the First Tier Tribunal there are several Chambers with jurisdiction over different subject matters.
  - For example, the Tax Chamber has jurisdiction over matters related to: (i) direct and indirect taxation, and (ii) expenses of Members of Parliament.
- Appeals from the Upper Tribunal lie to the Court of Appeal.
  - The Court of Appeal is the second highest court after the country’s Supreme Court.
- There is a separate tribunal for employment related matters called the Employment Appeals Tribunal.
  - The appeals of this tribunal lie to the Court of Appeal.
The administration of all courts and tribunals is managed by a separate organisation called Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).

United States of America

In the United States of America, tribunals are empowered to exercise only quasi-judicial functions related to administrative actions.
The country’s Constitution does not allow vesting judicial powers in a body which is not a court.
The decisions of these administrative tribunals are subject to judicial review by courts having jurisdiction over them.

Sample Mains Question

Compare the tribunal systems of the United Kingdom and France with reference to their structure and appellate mechanisms.
(150 Words, 10 Marks)

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