Criminal Law Articles

Jurisdiction of the Criminal Court of First Instance

General information about the subject-matter jurisdiction and trial role of Criminal Courts of First Instance in Türkiye.

Author: Lawyer Mazlum KANTARCİUpdated:
Jurisdiction of the Criminal Court of First Instance

Statutory basis

The division of work between criminal courts is set by legislation. The offence described in the indictment, any special assignment rule and the statutory penalty framework are relevant to the initial assessment.

Indictment and classification

The prosecution’s legal characterisation is important but does not bind the trial court absolutely. The court evaluates the facts and may address jurisdiction if the legal character changes.

Trial process

After the indictment is accepted, the court hears the parties, examines evidence, rules on procedural requests and reaches a judgment within the limits of the charge and defence rights.

Review routes

The available appellate route depends on the judgment, the applicable procedural rules and any monetary or sentence-related threshold in force at the relevant time.

Sources

Official Turkish-language texts of the legislation referred to in this article: