A Guide to Belgian Courts

Updated on Friday 11th September 2015

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The organisation of Belgian Courts

The judicial authority in Belgium is provided by the Belgian courts that operate within the legal framework and according to the constitutional provisions.

In Belgium, judicial courts are organised hierarchically. There are 28 Houses of Justice in Belgium, one in every judicial district. Brussels has two houses of justice (a French speaking one and a Dutch speaking one) and Flanders and Wallonia each have 13 houses of justice. The houses of justice appeal to the central administration.

The five judicial areas in Belgium are divided into 27 judicial districts. They each have a Court of First Instance, a Commercial Court and a Labor Court.

The five Belgian judicial areas are:

- Antwerp;
- Ghent;
- Brussels;
- Mont; and
- Liege.

Accordingly, there are five Appeal Courts in Belgium, each corresponding to a different judicial area in Belgium. Brussels has several Magistrates’ Courts and most of the other judicial districts each have one Magistrates’ Court.

Our Belgian lawyers can help take the proceedings to the specific court, according to your area of residence.

The Court of Cassation in Belgium

The Court of Cassation is the supreme judicial court and the head of all judicial courts in the Belgium. Its jurisdiction covers the entire country, however, the Court of Cassation in Belgium only examines if the decisions referred to it contravene the law.

The Court of Cassation in Belgium is the main court of last resort. The court is organised in three chambers and has 16 judges. Each chamber has a French and a Dutch department. It is only possible to appeal to the Court of Cassation in case of a judgement against which no ordinary appeal is possible anymore.

Our experienced Belgian lawyers can detail the appeal procedures for the Courts if Appeal and the Courts of Labor.

If you need help solving a legal matter in a Belgian court or if you are looking for an alternative dispute resolution method, such as arbitration, our Belgian law firm can offer you quality legal services. Contact us for detailed information.