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Under the Constitution of Singapore, the judicial system of Singapore is divided into the Supreme Court which comprises the Court of Appeal and the High Court, and the subordinate courts, namely the State Courts and Family Justice Courts - collectively known as SG Courts.
As one of the three branches of the Singapore government, the judiciary enforces and interprets the laws, ensuring that all are equal before the law and have access to justice. The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice.
Singapore practices the common law legal system, where the decisions of higher courts constitute binding precedent upon courts of equal or lower status within their jurisdiction, as opposed to the civil law legal system in continental Europe.
The current criminal code was preceded by the Indian Penal Code which was adopted when Singapore was a Crown colony of the British Empire.