Virginia. Supreme Court of Appeals

The Supreme Court of Appeals was created by an act of the General Assembly passed during its May 1779 session. The new court's antecedent was the General Court, which after it was reestablished under the constitution of 1776, shared appellate jurisdiction while the supreme court was restricted to civil cases, but the state constitution adopted in 1851 abolished the General Court. The Supreme Court thus became the state's only court of final appeal both for civil and criminal cases. An act of the General Assembly passed on 16 March 1971 changed the name of the court to the Supreme Court of Virginia.

The Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals was created by an act of the General Assembly passed at the May 1779 session and has continued to the present day. Its antecedent was the General Court, which, after it was reestablished under the constitution of 1776, shared appellate jurisdiction with the Supreme Court until 1851, when the new state constitution abolished the General Court. Prior to that date, the General Court had criminal jurisdiction, while the Supreme Court was restricted to civil cases. While the court now has concurrent original jurisdiction in issuing and hearing writs of habeas corpus, mandamus and prohibition, retirement, removal, and matters of judicial censure, its jurisdiction is almost exclusively appellate. An act of the General Assembly passed on March 16, 1971 changed the name of the court to the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Originally, the judges of the other state courts also served on the Supreme Court. However, since 1789 Supreme Court judges have been elected by the General Assembly. Currently the court has seven justices whose term in office is twelve years. Although the Supreme Court has always held its sessions in Richmond, it also has met from time to time in other locations in the state for the convenience of its litigants. In particular, the court met at Wytheville from 1870-1945 and at Staunton from 1870-1971.