Court of labour (Belgium)

Belgian judicial hierarchy (2018).
Court building where the court of labour of Brussels is seated (located opposite the city's Palace of Justice).

The court of labour (Dutch: arbeidshof, French: cour du travail, German: Arbeitsgerichtshof) is the appellate court in the judicial system of Belgium which hears appeals against judgements of the labour tribunals and the presidents of those tribunals in their respective judicial area. There are five courts of labour for each of the five judicial areas (Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Liège and Mons), which are the largest geographical subdivisions of Belgium for judicial purposes. Some of the courts of labour hear cases in multiple seats. Further below, an overview is provided of the five courts of labour and their seats. Whilst their territorial organisation is the same, the courts of labour are separate from the courts of appeal, which are the main appellate courts in Belgium.[1][2]

The organisation of the courts of labour and the applicable rules of procedure are laid down in the Belgian Judicial Code. The language in which the proceedings of the courts of labour are held depends on the official languages of their judicial areas: Dutch for the courts of labour of Antwerp and Ghent, Dutch and French for the court of labour of Brussels, French for the court of labour of Mons, and French and German for the court of labour of Liège. The use of languages in judicial matters is a sensitive topic in Belgium, and is strictly regulated by the law.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ a b "Arbeidshof" [Court of labour]. www.rechtbanken-tribunaux.be (in Dutch). College of the courts and tribunals of Belgium. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Judiciary – Organization" (PDF). www.dekamer.be. Parliamentary information sheet № 22.00. Belgian Chamber of Representatives. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Judiciary – Breakdown of law" (PDF). www.dekamer.be. Parliamentary information sheet № 21.00. Belgian Chamber of Representatives. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2019.