ARTICLE · 15 OCTOBER 2003

The Legal System

Travers Thorp Alberga

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The Cayman Islands are a common law jurisdiction and have adopted a legal system similar to that of the United Kingdom with the addition of a number of local statutes to reflect the unique needs of the business environment of the Cayman Islands

Cayman IslandsCorporate/Commercial Law

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The Cayman Islands are a common law jurisdiction and have adopted a legal system similar to that of the United Kingdom with the addition of a number of local statutes to reflect the unique needs of the business environment of the Cayman Islands.

The Court System

The Cayman Islands consists of a four-tier Court system:

The Summary Court.
This Court has similar jurisdiction to the Magistrateís Court in the U.K. and its civil jurisdiction is limited to CI$2,000.00.

The Grand Court. This Court has similar jurisdiction to that of the High Court in the U.K. and is presided over by a single judge. This is the Court in which most litigation is instituted.

The Court of Appeal. This Court has jurisdiction parallel to that of the Court of Appeal in the U.K. and typically sits with three judges chosen from a panel, however a single judge may preside in certain instances.

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