§ 610. Courts defined

As used in this chapter the word “courts” includes the courts of appeals and district courts of the United States, the United States District Court for the District of the Canal Zone, the District Court of Guam, the District Court of the Virgin Islands, the United States Court of Federal Claims, and the Court of International Trade.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 915; Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, § 44, 65 Stat. 725; Pub. L. 85–508, § 12(e), July 7, 1958, 72 Stat. 348; Pub. L. 95–598, title II, § 226, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2665; Pub. L. 96–417, title V, § 501(15), Oct. 10, 1980, 94 Stat. 1742; Pub. L. 97–164, title I, § 120(a), Apr. 2, 1982, 96 Stat. 33; Pub. L. 102–572, title IX, § 902(b)(1), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4516.)

Historical And Revision

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 450 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 308, as added Aug. 7, 1939, ch. 501, § 1, 53 Stat. 1223).

Words “and the United States Court for China” were omitted. See reviser’s note under section 411 of this title.

Provisions making this chapter and sections 332 and 333 of this title expressly applicable to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia were omitted as covered by “courts of appeals.” (See section 41 of this title and reviser’s notes under such section and section 44 of this title.)

A definition of “continental United States” as “the States of the Union and the District of Columbia” is omitted as unnecessary. (See reviser’s note under section 333 of this title.)

The term “district courts in the United States” in this section includes the District Court for the District of Columbia. (See section 88 of this title.)

Other provisions of section 450 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., are incorporated in sections 333 and 604 of this title.

The phrase “all other courts of the United States established by Act of Congress” was added to provide for future growth of the Federal judicial system. [See Senate Revision Amendment below.]

Changes in arrangement and phraseology were made.

Miscellaneous

Senate Revision Amendment

Those provisions of this section which related to the Tax Court were eliminated by Senate amendment. See 80th Congress Senate Report No. 1559.

Amendments

Amendments

1992—Pub. L. 102–572 substituted “United States Court of Federal Claims” for “United States Claims Court”.

1982—Pub. L. 97–164 substituted “the United States Claims Court” for “the Court of Claims, the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals”.

1980—Pub. L. 96–417 redesignated the Customs Court as the Court of International Trade.

1978—Pub. L. 95–598 directed the amendment of section by substituting “, district courts, and bankruptcy courts” for “and district courts”, which amendment did not become effective pursuant to section 402(b) of Pub. L. 95–598, as amended, set out as an Effective Date note preceding section 101 of Title 11, Bankruptcy.

1958—Pub. L. 85–508 struck out provisions which included District Court for Territory of Alaska within definition of court. See section 81A of this title which establishes a United States District Court for the State of Alaska.

1951—Act Oct. 31, 1951, inserted reference to the District Court of Guam.

Effective Date Of Amendment

Effective Date of 1992 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 102–572 effective Oct. 29, 1992, see section 911 of Pub. L. 102–572, set out as a note under section 171 of this title.

Effective Date of 1982 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 97–164 effective Oct. 1, 1982, see section 402 of Pub. L. 97–164, set out as a note under section 171 of this title.

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–417 effective Nov. 1, 1980, and applicable with respect to civil actions pending on or commenced on or after such date, see section 701(a) of Pub. L. 96–417, set out as a note under section 251 of this title.

Effective Date of 1958 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 85–508 effective Jan. 3, 1959, on admission of Alaska into the Union pursuant to Proc. No. 3269, Jan. 3, 1959, 24 F.R. 81, 73 Stat. c16, as required by sections 1 and 8(c) of Pub. L. 85–508, see notes set out under section 81A of this title and preceding section 21 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.

Miscellaneous

Termination of United States District Court for the District of the Canal Zone

For termination of the United States District Court for the District of the Canal Zone at end of the “transition period”, being the 30-month period beginning Oct. 1, 1979, and ending midnight Mar. 31, 1982, see Paragraph 5 of Article XI of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and sections 2101 and 2201 to 2203 of Pub. L. 96–70, title II, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 493, formerly classified to sections 3831 and 3841 to 3843, respectively, of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.