Only the UK Parliament can overturn decisions of the Supreme Court by passing new legislation or amending existing law
There are 12 senior judges who all have extensive legal experience
The head of the court is the president of the Supreme Court
The judges are appointed by an independent panel of the country's senior legal figures, so that it can be independent of political pressure
Role of the Supreme Court
1. It is the final court of appeal for all civil cases in the UK and criminal cases from England, Wales and Northern Ireland
2. It concentrates on cases of the greatest public and constitutional importance
3. It may hear constitutional law cases, as well as criminal and civil law cases
4. It hears appeals on arguable points of law-it clarifies the meaning and application of law which may not be clear from the wording of the law
Constitutional law
Statute laws, common law or conventional rules which concern the ways in which government operates and which deal with the distribution of political power
Civil law
Unlike criminal law, which involves criminal activity, civil law refers to private disputes between individuals and organisations
