District courts of Russia
The district courts of Russia are primarily courts of first instance in the judiciary of Russia but sometimes hear appeals from magistrates' courts. They are formed in raion or areas, urban areas, and cities. Decisions of the court are appealed to the regional court.
As courts of first instance, they handle criminal cases where imprisonment is for more than 3 years, and consist of 1 judge and a jury where required. As courts of appeal from decisions of the magistrate courts consisting of 1 justice of the peace, they consist of 1 judge and retry the case.
They were called People's Courts until 1996.
