Local courts

Local courts of general jurisdiction hear criminal and civil cases as well as cases on administrative offences.

Local commercial courts hear cases connected with commercial relations as well as other cases attributed by the legislation currently in force to their jurisdiction.

Local administrative courts hear cases connected with the sphere of state administration and local self-government (cases of administrative jurisdiction) except for cases of administrative jurisdiction in the military sphere, which are taken to military courts.

Courts of appeal, the appellate court of ukraine

The courts of appeal are appellate courts in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, regions, cities of Kiev and Sevastopol, military courts of appeals of regions and the Navy, Court of Appeals of Ukraine. In case of necessity regional courts of appeal can be substituted by general courts of appeal with territorial jurisdiction in several regions. On August, 20^th, 2001, the President of Ukraine signed a Decree “On network and quantitative structure of judges at courts of appeal”, according to which the courts of appeals are created within the Supreme Court of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, regional, Kyiv and Sevastopol city courts.

The courts of appeal shall:

− examine appeals according to judicial procedures currently in force;

− examine in the first instance cases as stipulated by the legislation currently in force (except for commercial courts of appeal);

− account and analyze forensic statistics, research and summarize court practices;

− provide consultations to local courts regarding application of the legislation currently in force.

The Court of Appeals of Ukraine also has the authority to examine appeals within its jurisdiction according to the active judicial procedures.

High courts with specialized jurisdiction

The highest bodies of the system of specialized courts are:

− the High Arbitration Court of Ukraine,

− the High Administrative Court of Ukraine,

− the High specialized court of Ukraine for Civil and criminal cases.

There are four chambers in the High Arbitration Court: − to review of bankruptcy cases; − to hear cases between entities − to hear cases arising from tax and other relations involving government regulationof business entities; − to review of cases involving the protection of the rights to intellectual property.

Administrative cases are disposed by a single judge in court of first instance as a rule, but complex cases, or, if a side in the cause solicits the judge, there to be three judges in composition of the court. Administrative cases which are under the jurisdiction of the High Administrative Court of Ukraine as first-instance administrative court are to be disposed by the chamber composed of not less than five judges. Review of the judicial award in administrative procedure of appeal instance is to be made by the chamber composed of three judges and of cassation instance – by the chamber composed of not less than five judges.

In 2010  the Parliament of Ukraine Rada has adopted  the Law of Ukraine "On the Judicial System and Status of Judges". According to this law the High specialized court of Ukraine for Civil and criminal cases is supposed to be the appellate court to review cases under the general jurisdiction.