What type of jurisdiction do both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals hold?

Both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals in Georgia hold appellate jurisdiction. This means that these courts primarily review decisions made by lower trial courts, rather than conducting trials themselves. They focus on issues of law and the legal principles applied in cases that have been appealed to them, rather than on factual determinations.

The significance of appellate jurisdiction lies in its role in ensuring that the law is interpreted and applied consistently across different cases. It is a mechanism for correcting errors that may have occurred in lower courts, which reinforces the checks and balances within the judicial system. These appellate courts assess the validity of the legal arguments and review the record from the lower court, but they do not retry cases or hear new evidence. This specialized role differentiates appellate courts from trial courts, which have different purposes and functions.