<P> The United Kingdom does not have a single unified legal system--England and Wales have one system, Scotland another, and Northern Ireland a third . There are exceptions to this rule; for example in immigration law, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal's jurisdiction covers the whole of the United Kingdom, while in employment law there is a single system of employment tribunals for England, Wales, and Scotland but not Northern Ireland . Additionally, the Military Court Service has jurisdiction over all members of the armed forces of the United Kingdom in relation to offences against military law . </P> <P> The Court of Appeal, the High Court, the Crown Court, the County Court, and the magistrates' courts are administered by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice . </P> <P> The Supreme Court is the highest appeal court in almost all cases in England and Wales . Before the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 this role was held by the House of Lords . The Supreme Court is also the highest court of appeal for devolution matters, a role previously held by the Privy Council . </P> <P> The Privy Council is the highest court of appeal for a small number of Commonwealth countries, colonies and the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man . There are a number of smaller statutory jurisdictions in England and Wales, such as appeals from ecclesiastical and professional bodies . The judges who sit on the Privy Council are also the members of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal . </P>

Where are the most serious civil cases heard in england and wales