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The original Pennsylvania constitutions, drafted by William Penn, established a Provincial Court under the control of his British governors. The General Assembly, however, espoused the principle of separation of powers and formally called for a third branch of government starting with the 1701 Judiciary Bill.
The court system in Pennsylvania did not change again until the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776. By establishing the Courts of Sessions, Courts of Common Pleas and Orphans’ Courts in each county, the constitution allowed Pennsylvania to see the beginning of a statewide framework for the development of its judicial system.
The colony makes significant progress toward becoming a unified judicial system with the Judiciary Act of 1722. The act establishes the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the Courts of Common Pleas in Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester counties.
- Minor Courts
- Courts of Common Pleas
- Intermediate Appellate Courts
- Supreme Court
There are three minor courts. Magisterial District Courts evolved from justice of the peace posts, which primarily handled local matters and minor issues. Today, these courts hold much the same role; they process preliminary hearings and arraignments, function as small claims courts, set bail (except in murder cases), and decide whether to send cri...
The Courts of Common Pleas are the primary trial courts for major criminal and civil cases in the Commonwealth. They also handle appeals from the minor courts and litigation involving children and families. There are 451 judges—who must be lawyers—distributed through districts, which, with several exceptions, correspond to county borders. Judges ar...
There are two types of intermediate appellate courts, the Superior Court and the Commonwealth Court. Judges for the courts are elected for 10-year terms. Both courts basically handle appeals to decisions from the Courts of Common Pleas, but they take on different types of cases. The Superior Court, originally established to ease the workload of the...
The Supreme Court can choose to review appeals to decisions from the intermediate appellate courts, as well as from lower courts in cases of “immediate public importance.” In a given year, it takes up seven percent or less of the appeals submitted. It’s the highest court in the state and its decisions stand, unless the affected parties decide to ap...
May 9, 2022 · provincial court - 5 judges - Hear appeals from county courts. Act passed by General . Assembly. Comprehensive judicial . reform, including Provincial . Councils’ appellate function and renamed high court as Supreme Provincial Court - appointed by 5 judges, the governor - Courts were to follow “the methods and . practice of the Kings
History of the Court. Operating continuously from its establishment in 1684, as the Provincial Court, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has evolved from five judges riding circuit in the William Penn's province to seven justices administering the entirety of Pennsylvania's judicial branch.
Courts. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the state supreme court and court of last resort. [1] The intermediate appellate courts in Pennsylvania are the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania (for matters involving state agencies) and the Superior Court of Pennsylvania (for all other appeals).
