An ‘appeal’ is a legal proceeding that considers whether another court’s legal decision was right or wrong. After a court or tribunal has ruled for one side, the losing side may seek review of that decision by filing an appeal before a higher court. The higher court is known as the appellate or appeals court, as it is the court that hears the appeal. Generally, appellate cases are decided by panels of several judges.
During the proceedings before the higher court, the party that lost at the original court and is therefore filing the appeal is usually known as the ‘appellant.’ The party that won in the lower court and must defend the lower court’s decision is known as the ‘appellee’.
