In practice, most appeals are resolved at this intermediate appellate level, rather than in the Supreme Court.

The President and nine other permanent appellate judges constitute the full-time working membership of the Court of Appeal.

In the main, criminal appeals will be allocated to a Divisional Court unless the President otherwise directs.

This recognises the insights which judges with current trial experience bring to criminal appeals.

Longer civil appeals or areas that raise legal issues of public significance will usually be allocated to a Permanent Court.

The President will also determine whether an appeal (criminal or civil) is of sufficient significance to warrant the consideration of a Full Court of five members.

These are located in the heritage premises of the High Court building on Waterloo Quadrant, constructed in 1865-68.

On occasion the Permanent Court sits in Auckland, in cases of substantial local public interest.

The court has jurisdiction to hear appeals against pre-trial rulings in criminal cases.

It initially sat in Christchurch and Dunedin, and then moved to Wellington when that city became capital in 1865.

The number of permanent Court members has risen as the volume and complexity of litigation and appeals have increased.