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440 Chapter 17The resolution of business disputes

Supreme Court, under the ‘leapfrog’ procedure. This is most unusual, only being possible

if the case involves a point of law of public importance, and if the Supreme Court gives

permission for the appeal. Figure 17.1 shows the civil court structure.

Any court can refer a dispute to the European Court of Justice to get an authoritative

opinion on a matter of EU law. The court then waits for the European Court of Justice to

give the ruling. When this has been done, the court then applies the ruling. The Supreme

Court must refer a question of EU law to the European Court of Justice where a relevant

point of EC law is at issue and where the European Court of Justice has not previously ruled

on the matter.

In the previous chapter we saw that businesses can be prosecuted for criminal offences.

Figures 17.2 and 17.3 show the structure of the criminal courts. Indictable offences are

Figure 17.2Structure of criminal courts as regards summary offences

Figure 17.3Structure of the criminal courts as regards indictable offences