The
judiciary in Hong Kong is responsible for the administration of justice in the territory. It hears all prosecutions and civil disputes, including disputes between individuals and the government. It is fundamental to the
Hong Kong legal system that members of the judiciary are independent of the executive and legislative branches of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The courts of law in Hong Kong comprise the
Court of Final Appeal, the
High Court (which includes the
Court of Appeal and the
Court of First Instance), the
District Courts (which includes the Family Court and the
Lands Tribunal), the
Magistrates' Courts (which includes the
Juvenile Court), the
Coroner's Court, the Labour Tribunal, the
Small Claims Tribunal, and the Obscene Articles Tribunal. The
Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal is head of the judiciary and assisted in his administrative duties by the Judiciary Administrator. A
bilingual court system in which Chinese, English or both can be used was put in place, in accordance with the requirement of the
Basic Law.