Superior court

In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. A superior court is superior in relation to a court of limited jurisdiction, such as a small claims court, which is restricted to civil cases involving a specific monetary limit or to criminal cases involving less serious offenses. A superior court may also hear appeals from lower courts, in which capacity it functions similarly to a court of appeal; the analogous concept in civil law systems for a court of general jurisdiction is known as an ordinary court.