Judicial Yuan - High Courts

High Courts

There is one High Court in the Taiwan area with four branch courts in Taichung（台中), Tainan（臺南), Kaohsiung（高雄), and Hualien（花蓮). In the Fuchien area, there is a Kinmen Branch Court of the Fuchien High Court. The High Courts and its branches exercise jurisdiction over the following cases:

• Appeals from judgments of the District Courts or their branches as courts of the first instance in ordinary proceedings of civil and criminal cases;
• Interlocutory appeals from rulings of the District Courts or their branches in ordinary proceedings;
• First instance criminal cases relating to rebellion, treason, and offenses against friendly relations with foreign states;
• Military appellate cases whose judgments are imprisonment for a definite period rendered by the High Military Courts and their branches; and
• Other cases prescribed by law.

The High Courts and its Branch Courts are divided into civil, criminal and specialized divisions. Each Division is composed of one Division Chief Judge and two Associate Judges. Additionally, the High Court and its Branch Courts have a Clerical Bureau, which is headed by a Chief Clerk who assists the President with administrative affairs.

Cases before the High Courts or its Branch Courts are heard and decided by a panel of three judges. However, one of the judges may conduct preparatory proceedings.

The Court has seven civil courts, each of which has one presiding judge and three judges to handle civil appeals of the second instance and counter-appeal cases under the system of collegial panels, but they do not deal with simple litigation. The Court has eleven criminal courts, each of which has one presiding judge and two or three judges to handle criminal appeals of the second instance and counter-appeal cases under the system of collegial panels as well as litigation of the first instance concerning civil strife, foreign aggression or violation of foreign relations. Based on various needs, the Court manages several professional courts such as the Professional Court of Fair Trade Cases, Family Professional Court, Professional Court of International Trade, Maritime Professional Court, Professional Court of State Compensation, Professional Court of Anti-corruption, Professional Court of Intellectual Property Rights, Professional Court of Juvenile Delinquency, Professional Court of Serious Criminal Cases, Professional Court of Public Security, Professional Court of Fair Trade Act, Professional Court of Sexual Harassment, etc.