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An appeal refers to the process by which a party to a legal case requests a higher court to review a decision made by a lower court. An appeal is a mechanism that allows parties who are dissatisfied with a court’s judgment or ruling to seek a reconsideration or reversal of that decision.

When a party files an appeal, they are essentially asking a higher court, typically an appellate court, to review the lower court’s decision and determine if errors were made in applying the law or if the decision was otherwise unjust. The appellate court does not retry the case or consider new evidence. Instead, it examines the record of the case, including the trial court’s rulings, evidence presented, and legal arguments, to assess whether the lower court made errors that affected the outcome.