Australia's legal system is a federal system with power to set up courts in state parliaments and federal parliaments under Australia's Constitution the Judiciary is independent from the other arms of government there are three principal federal courts in Australia they include the high court of Australia the federal court of Australia and the federal circuit and family court of Australia additionally there are State and territory courts within the responsibilities of the relevant attorney general or Minister for justice one high court of Australia the high court of Australia is the highest court of appeal in Australia Its role is to interpret and apply the law of Australia to decide cases of special Federal significance including challenges to the Constitutional validity of laws and to here appeals by special leave from federal state and territory courts the high court of Australia was established in 1901 by section 71 of the Constitution but this court was forly brought into being in 1903 by the Judiciary Act of that year two federal court of Australia the federal court of Australia was established by the federal court of Australia act 1976 it began to exercise its jurisdiction on the 1st of February 1977 the court is a superior court of record and a court of law and Equity it sits in all capital cities and elsewhere in Australia from time to time the federal court has the jurisdiction over almost civil disputes governed by federal laws it also has the jurisdiction over some summary and indictable criminal matters the federal court of Australia hears civil disputes these cases are related to bankruptcy corporations industrial relations native title and Taxation and Trade Practices laws it also hears appeals from decisions of the federal circuit court three federal circuit and family court of Australia the federal circuit and family court of Australia act 2021 separate the courts into two divisions the federal cirkuit and family court of Australia Division 1 is a specialist Family Law Court it continues from the family court of Australia it is a superior court of record it is also a court of law and Equity Parliament established it in 1975 under chapter three of the Constitution it hears the most complex family law trials and appeals the federal circuit and family court of Australia division 2 is a continuation of the federal circuit court of Australia it is an intermediate Court of record the court is a court of law and Equity it was established by parliament in 2000 under Chapter 3 of The Constitution the federal circuit and family court of Australia division 2 has broad Federal jurisdiction it covers areas including family law migration and fair work the court also addresses bankruptcy intellectual property consumer law human rights and administrative law four state and territory courts each state and territory has their own laws and court system State and territory courts fall within the responsibilities of the relevant state or territory attorney general or Minister for justice all states and territories have a supreme court which is the highest court within that state or territory these courts also have appeal divisions they are known as the court of appeal in civil matters they are known as the Court of Criminal appeal in Criminal matters the Supreme Court is the highest state court it also hears serious criminal matters the Supreme Court of Appeal hears all Civil Appeals from the Supreme Court and District Court it also hears appeals from the land and environment court and some tribunals appeals from the Supreme Court of Appeal are heard by the high court The District Court deals with civil claims and all motor accident cases it also hears less serious indictable criminal offenses The District Court determines all appeals from the local Court the local court has criminal and civil jurisdiction dealing with lesser value civil claims and criminal summary offenses the land and environment court is a specialist environmental and planning Court it interprets and enforces planning and environmental law this court deals with civil matters including appeals against government decisions breaches of environmental and planning laws and Mining disputes Australia has a federal legal system with an independent Judiciary established under its Constitution the courts include one high court of Australia the highest court established in 1901 one interprets Australian law and hears significant Federal cases and appeals two federal court of Australia established in 1976 and operational from 1977 this court handles civil disputes related to federal laws including bankruptcy and Taxation it hears appeals from the federal circuit court three federal circuit and family court of Australia austalia created by the federal circuit and family court of Australia act 2021 it has two divisions o Division 1 focuses on complex family law cases o division 2 covers a wide range of areas including family law migration and administrative law four state and territory courts each state and territory has its own court system with a supreme cord at the top