Judiciary of Belgium

The Belgian judiciary is referred to as the courts and tribunals (Dutch: hoven en rechtbanken, French: cours et tribunaux, German: Gerichtshöfe und Gerichte) in official texts, such as the Belgian Constitution.

The Court of Cassation (Dutch: Hof van Cassatie, French: Cour de Cassation, German: Kassationshof) is the supreme court of the Belgian judicial system.

In addition, the Court of Cassation also rules on certain prejudicial questions, handles certain procedures to review old criminal cases, as well as certain proceedings against judges or prosecutors themselves.

[1] Legal help can be obtained from a house of justice (Dutch: justitiehuis, French: maison de justice, German: justizhaus), of which there is one in each judicial arrondissement and 2 in the arrondissement of Brussels (a Dutch- and French-speaking one).

The Constitutional Court (Grondwettelijk Hof / Cour constitutionelle) is a special court which rules on conflicts between the federal level and regional level, as well as on any law that may violate fundamental rights.

Image of Belgian judges leaving Saint Bavo's Cathedral, in Ghent after the solemn Te Deum on the Belgian National Day
Belgian judges leaving St Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent after the solemn Te Deum on the National Holiday
Diagram of the Belgian judicial hierarchy as of 2020
Belgian judicial hierarchy as of 2020:
One for the entire country
Organised per judicial area
Organised per province (+ Brussels)
Organised per judicial arrondissement
Organised per judicial canton