What is the purpose of appellate courts?

The role of appellate courts is primarily to review cases for legal errors made in lower courts. This involves examining the record from the trial court, evaluating whether the law was applied correctly, and determining if there were any procedural mistakes that could have impacted the outcome of the case. Appellate courts do not conduct new trials, meaning they do not hear witnesses or gather new evidence; instead, they rely on the existing record from the trial phase.

The core function is to ensure that legal precedents are upheld, and justice is served through the correct interpretation of the law. If an appellate court finds that a legal error occurred that affected the verdict, it may reverse the decision, send the case back for further proceedings, or affirm the verdict as appropriate based on its review.

New law creation typically falls under the purview of legislative bodies, not appellate courts, which focus instead on the application and interpretation of existing law. Additionally, while appellate courts do resolve disputes indirectly by reviewing previous decisions, they do not engage in the direct settlement of disputes as trial courts do. This ability to focus on the legal questions of a case rather than the factual determinations differentiates the function of appellate courts in the judicial system.