Federation Tribunal

The Federation Tribunal was the highest judicial body in the United Federation of Planets.

It was based on Alpha III.

Membership
It comprised nine members considered to be the most experienced members of the legal profession in the Federation. They could come from any member planet, whatever its specific membership status. They were appointed by the Federation Council and ratified by the Federation Assembly. They served for life.

Functions
The Federation Tribunal was the highest judicial body in the Federation and was the final court of appeal for matters involving interstellar relations. It could also make final rulings regarding potential violations of the Prime Directive. It was superior to the Appellate Courts.

It lacked direct enforcement powers of its own, but Tribunal members could request that the Federation Security Council conduct an investigation of important matters and deliver a full report to a joint session of the Federation Assembly and the Federation Council.

It was analogous to the Supreme Courts of old Terra.

History
On reference stardate 1/4705.18 (c. 2219), the Federation Tribunal found the Orion Duraba Corporation guilty of 1850 separate violations of the Federation Uniform Mercantile Code in a criminal conspiracy across 20 planets.

After reporters of the United Federation of Planets Infonet linked the destruction of the Genesis Planet and USS Grissom (NCC-638) in 2285 to the top-secret Project Genesis, they announced their intention to take a case to the Federation Tribunal to obtain leverage and demand a full account of the Genesis affair.


 * The suggests that the Federation Supreme Court is the highest court in the Federation, while the  describes the Federation Judiciary Council as such. These imply that the Federation Tribunal was replaced by one of those bodies some time before 2373.