What are Article I Federal Courts?
Article I federal courts include legislative courts & administrative courts.
What are Legislative Courts?
Legislative courts are those created by Congress pursuant to authority granted under Article I to handle special jurisdictional matters.
- Relevant Law: Justice John Marshal explained the distinction between constitutional courts and legislative courts in American Ins. Co. v. Canter, writing These courts, then, are not constitutional courts, in which the judicial power conferred by the constitution on the general government, can be deposited. They are incapable of receiving it. They are legislative courts, created in virtue of the general right of sovereignty which exists in the government, or in virtue of that clause which enables Congress to make all needful rules and regulations, respecting the territory belonging to the United States. The jurisdiction with which they are vested is not a part of that judicial power which is defined in the 3d article of the constitution but is conferred by Congress, in the execution of those general powers which that body possesses over the territories of the United States.
Examples of the major Article I, legislative courts include:
- United States Tax Court
- United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
- Court of Military Commission Review
- United States Court of Appeal for Military Claims
- United States Court of Federal Claims
- United States Bankruptcy Courts
Other legislative tribunals include:
- D.C. Court of Appeals, D.C. Superior Court, Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, US Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals, US Court of Federal Claims, Social Security Administration Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, US Merit Systems Protection Board, Board of Veterans Appeals, US Courts-Martial, Guantanamo Military Commissions.
What are Administrative Courts?
Administrative courts are those created to adjudicate disputes of a particular administrative agency.
There are numerous special courts that exist within administrative agencies and are under the supervision of the Executive Branch.
They were created pursuant to Congress’s power under Article I, but they are not entirely separate Article I Courts.
Most notably, the US Immigration Court, and the US Board of Immigration Appeals, exist in the Executive Office of Immigration Review. It is a sub-agency of the Department of Justice.
The Attorney General has the direct authority to refer him/herself cases for determination.
There is a similar structure within numerous administrative agencies, such as the Social Security Administration and the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals.
