Court of labour (Belgium)

A Court of Labour (Dutch: Arbeidshof, French: Cour du travail) is a court in Belgium which hears appeals from judgements rendered by the Labour Tribunal (Dutch: Arbeidsrechtbank, French: Tribunal du travail). These courts are specialized in matters concerning labour law, social security law, and social assistance law.

The Courts of Labour are located in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Liège, and Mons. Each Court of Labour has jurisdiction over a specific geographical area, usually corresponding to one or more provinces.

A Court of Labour is composed of professional judges and lay judges. The professional judges are career magistrates. The lay judges, also known as social judges, are not professional judges but are chosen from employers' organizations and employees' organizations. The presence of lay judges ensures that the court possesses practical experience and expertise relevant to the subject matter of the case.

The proceedings before the Court of Labour are generally similar to those before other Belgian courts of appeal. The court reviews the judgement of the Labour Tribunal and may either affirm, reverse, or modify that judgement. The court can also order additional evidence to be presented. The decisions of the Court of Labour can be appealed to the Court of Cassation (Dutch: Hof van Cassatie, French: Cour de cassation) on points of law.