Catalogue description Supreme Court of Judicature: Court of Appeal (Civil Division) Office: Case Files

The practice and procedure relating to appeals to the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal is governed by Order 59 of the Rules of the Supreme Court. When hearing an appeal the court may make an order which it decides ought to have been made in the court below; in some cases it will direct that the matter be remitted to the lower court to be re-heard. Some orders made by lower courts or by tribunals are subject to appeal as of right, some can only be appealed against if leave to appeal is first obtained from the lower court or from the Court of Appeal.

The Master of the Rolls is president of the division, and the Lord Chancellor may appoint a vice-president. The work is done mainly by the Master of the Rolls and the lords justices, with occasional assistance from Law Lords, High Court judges and former judges from the Court of Appeal or High Court. Since 1982 the work of the division has been administered by a Civil Appeals Office, headed by a Registrar of Civil Appeals. This office was created by the Supreme Court Act 1981 following the report of a working party headed by Lord Scarman. The registrar's functions include ensuring that the proper documentation is prepared, advising those unfamiliar with the procedure and practice of the court and the establishment of a co-ordinated listing system.