Judicial System

Dominica enjoys an independent judiciary with its highest court being the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.
At the lowest rung of the judiciary is the Magistrate Court which deals with minor civil and criminal matters.

There is the High Court which handles serious civil and criminal cases.
Appeals from both the High Court and the Magistrate Court go to the Court of Appeal. Dominica shares a Court of Appeal with other members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.
That court is a circuit court which sits in each island two or three times a year.
Appeals from the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal go to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Dominica has an English common law legal system and most of its statute law is based on United Kingdom precedents. There are about 50 practicing lawyers in Dominica.