Final answer:
An appellate court is the type of court that has the authority to review decisions made by lower courts, including trial courts, ensuring that the law was correctly applied in each case.
Step-by-step explanation:
Only a appellate court can review the decisions of a lower court. When a party is dissatisfied with a decision made by a trial court, they have the option to appeal to an appellate court, which includes circuit courts, also known as U.S. courts of appeals, and ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court. The appellate courts do not conduct trials but rather review the procedural and legal issues of the case to ensure the law was applied correctly. In the American judicial system, the U.S. Supreme Court is the highest appellate court and has the power to review decisions made by the circuit courts, though it hears only a small fraction of the cases petitioned to it annually. Decisions made by the appellate courts are binding on the lower courts, creating legal precedents that guide future rulings.