Judicial Branch

The Oregon Judicial Branch is a unified system of state circuit courts (trial courts), appellate courts (Oregon Supreme Court and Oregon Court of Appeals), and the Tax Court, known together as the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD). Its judges have the responsibility to enforce the rule of law by deciding criminal, civil, family, and other types of legal disputes; to interpret and apply the state and federal constitutions and statutes in decisions on cases; and to hold hearings and trials throughout the state. The role of the state courts is to ensure that all Oregonians receive fair and accessible justice by providing due process (respecting all legal rights that are owed to a person), protecting individual rights, and preserving community welfare.