Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania is one of Pennsylvania's two intermediate appellate courts. The Commonwealth Court's headquarters is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is the other intermediate appellate court in the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. The jurisdiction of the nine-judge Commonwealth Court is limited to appeals from final orders of certain state agencies and certain designated cases from the Courts of Common Pleas involving public sector legal questions and government regulation. The Commonwealth Court also functions as a trial court in some civil actions by or against the Commonwealth government and cases regarding statewide elections (42 Pa.C.S. §§ 761-764).

Article V, section 4 of the 1968 Pennsylvania Constitution created the Commonwealth Court. Acts enacted in 1970 set up the court. Judges are elected to 10-year terms, and must retire at the age of 75.

The Commonwealth Court publishes its precedential opinions in the Atlantic Reporter 2d series. From 1970-1995, the court maintained an official reporter, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Reports, volumes 1-168 (1970-1995). The Court's precedential and non-precedential ("unreported") opinions are posted on the Internet.

Appeals from Commonwealth Court decisions go to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.