# Mahkamah — the Term for Judicial Institutions and a Summary of Its Levels in Malaysia

> Mahkamah is the general term for the judicial institutions that hear and decide cases in Malaysia. The country's court system is divided into two separate streams — the civil courts (federal) and the Syariah Courts (state) — each with its own levels.

- Category: glossary
- Language: en
- Status: published
- Updated: 2026-07-24
- Canonical: https://negaraku.md/en/glossary/mahkamah

---

**Bahasa Malaysia:** Mahkamah · **English:** Court · **中文:** 法院

"Mahkamah" is a word used widely — from a traffic summons slip to a Federal
Court ruling that sets the law of the land. It is not the name of one
institution, but an **umbrella** term for any body empowered to hear and
decide cases according to law.

## Two systems, not one ladder

Something that often causes confusion: Malaysia does not have *one* court
hierarchy, but **two separate systems** running in parallel.

| System | Established by | Jurisdiction |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Civil courts** | The Federal Constitution & federal law | General — everyone, all types of civil and criminal cases subject to their respective limits |
| **Syariah Courts** | State enactments (federal law for the Federal Territories) | Limited to Muslims and matters listed in the State List |

These two systems do not overlap in a single appeal ladder — an appeal from
the Syariah Courts does not go up to the Court of Appeal or the Federal
Court. See [Syariah](/en/glossary/syariah) and
[Civil Courts and Syariah Courts](/en/law/civil-and-syariah-courts) for a
full account of the dividing line.

## Levels of the civil courts, in brief

According to the official portal of the Judiciary of Malaysia, the civil
courts ascend in the following order, from subordinate to superior:

1. **Magistrates' Court** — the lowest level, hearing civil and criminal
   cases of smaller value/sentence.
2. **Sessions Court** — the second subordinate court, with wider
   jurisdiction than the Magistrates' Court.
3. **High Court** — two coordinate courts under Article 121 of the
   Federal Constitution: the High Court of Malaya, and the High Court
   of Sabah and Sarawak.
4. **Court of Appeal** — hears appeals from the High Court.
5. **Federal Court** — the highest and final court.

The Magistrates' Court and the Sessions Court are called the **subordinate
courts**; the three levels above them are called the **superior courts**.

The actual monetary and sentencing jurisdiction limits for each level —
including appeal limits in ringgit — are not explained here as they require
a longer statutory account. Refer to
[Malaysia's Court Hierarchy](/en/law/court-hierarchy) and
[Judiciary & Courts](/en/government/kehakiman-mahkamah) for the full figures
and how judges are appointed.

## What's next

- [Malaysia's Court Hierarchy](/en/law/court-hierarchy)
- [Judiciary & Courts](/en/government/kehakiman-mahkamah)
- [Syariah](/en/glossary/syariah)
- [Civil Courts and Syariah Courts](/en/law/civil-and-syariah-courts)
- [Akta](/en/glossary/akta)

## Sources

- Hierarki Mahkamah — Portal Rasmi Badan Kehakiman Malaysia — https://www.kehakiman.gov.my/ms/mengenai-kami/mahkamah/mahkamah-persekutuan/hierarki-mahkamah (Badan Kehakiman Malaysia)
- Perlembagaan Persekutuan (Perkara 121 — Mahkamah Persekutuan) — https://lom.agc.gov.my/ (Jabatan Peguam Negara)

---
Source of truth: https://github.com/negaraku-md/NegaraKu.md
License: CC BY-SA 4.0