Supreme Court, London, UK 360 Virtual Tour.
The 360-degree virtual tour of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom helps the online visitors to explore the court from anywhere in the world and at their convenience.
The Supreme Court is the final court of appeal in the United Kingdom for civil cases, and for criminal cases from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It hears cases of the greatest public or constitutional importance affecting the whole population, including disputes relating to devolution. The United Kingdom has a doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, so the Supreme Court is much more limited in its powers of judicial review than the constitutional or supreme courts of some other countries. It cannot overturn any primary legislation made by Parliament.
In October 2009, The Supreme Court replaced the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the highest court in the United Kingdom.
The Supreme Court’s 12 Justices maintain the highest standards set by the Appellate Committee but are now explicitly separate from both Government and Parliament.
The Court hears appeals on arguable points of law of the greatest public importance, for the whole of the United Kingdom in civil cases, and for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in criminal cases.
Additionally, it hears cases on devolution matters under the Scotland Act 1998, the Northern Ireland Act 1998, and the Government of Wales Act 2006.
The Supreme Court sits in the former Middlesex Guildhall, on the western side of Parliament Square.
This new location is highly symbolic of the United Kingdom’s separation of powers, balancing judiciary and legislature across the open space of Parliament Square, with the other two sides occupied by the executive (the Treasury building) and the church (Westminster Abbey).
The Supreme Court also decides devolution issues, that is issues about whether the devolved executive and legislative authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have acted or propose to act within their powers or have failed to comply with any other duty imposed on them. Devolution cases can reach the Supreme Court in three ways.
Created by Leen Thobias P4Panorama
