England and Wales have a hierarchical court system. Most criminal cases begin in the Magistrates' Court, where less serious offences are tried by lay magistrates (Justices of the Peace) or by a District Judge. Serious criminal cases are sent to the Crown Court, where they are tried by a judge and a jury of 12. Civil cases — disputes between people or organisations — start in the County Court or the High Court depending on their value and complexity.
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Above these are the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the highest court for civil cases throughout the UK and for criminal cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has a separate court system; the highest Scottish criminal court is the High Court of Justiciary.
You may be asked which court hears the most serious criminal cases (the Crown Court), or what the highest court in the UK is (the Supreme Court).
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