What is an appeal?

What is an appeal?

• A. An application to have a higher court reconsider a lower court's decision on the basis of an error of law
• B. A request to reopen a case in the same court
• C. A process to transfer a case to another jurisdiction
• D. A complaint to a judge about conduct

Answer: (A)

An appeal is a formal request to a higher court to review a lower court’s decision to see if a legal error affected the outcome. It focuses on whether the law was applied correctly, not on re‑arguing facts or introducing new evidence. The higher court looks at the trial record and, if it finds a legal error, can uphold, overturn, or send the case back for a new trial. The other ideas describe rehearing in the same court, transferring the case to another jurisdiction, or filing a complaint about a judge’s conduct, which are different processes.

An appeal is a formal request to a higher court to review a lower court’s decision to see if a legal error affected the outcome. It focuses on whether the law was applied correctly, not on re‑arguing facts or introducing new evidence. The higher court looks at the trial record and, if it finds a legal error, can uphold, overturn, or send the case back for a new trial. The other ideas describe rehearing in the same court, transferring the case to another jurisdiction, or filing a complaint about a judge’s conduct, which are different processes.