1.1 Introduction

• Library: Appellate Practice - Virginia and Federal Courts (Virginia CLE) (2016 Ed.)

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The judicial power of the Commonwealth of Virginia is vested in the Supreme Court of Virginia and those other courts that the General Assembly may establish by statute. ¹ The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court serves as the administrative head of the judicial system. ²

The "other courts" established by the General Assembly are the Court of Appeals of Virginia, ³ and circuit courts, ⁴ which are courts of record, ⁵ and district courts, which are courts not of record. ⁶ Judges of the district courts are classified as either general district court judges or judges of the juvenile and domestic relations district courts, each with separate areas of limited jurisdiction. ⁷

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Notes:

^[1] Va. Const. art. VI, § 1.

^[2] Va. Const. art. VI, § 4.

^[3] Va. Code tit. 17.1, ch. 4.

^[4] Va. Code tit. 17.1, ch. 5.

^[5] Va. Const. art. VI, § 1.

^[6] Va. Code tit. 16.1, ch. 4.1; Va. Code tit. 16.1, ch. 11; Va. Const. art. VI, § 8.

^[7] See Va. Code tit. 16.1, ch. 4.1; Va. Code tit. 16.1, ch. 11.