Definition
A higher court that reviews lower court decisions to check for legal errors, not to retry the case. It's the 'appeal to a higher authority' made official.
Example Usage
The defendant appealed the conviction to the appellate court, arguing prosecutorial misconduct.
Origin
From Latin 'appellare' meaning 'to call upon' or 'to appeal'
Fun Fact
Appellate courts focus on legal issues, not factual ones, which is why they often overturn trials on technicalities rather than new evidence
Source: Court structure terminology
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