Sharia courts were for a long time the primary institutions responsible for applying both the sharia and law emanating from the imperial power in the Ottoman Empire. They were typically composed of a single judge (kadi) in each district (kaza), whose decisions could be appealed to the Fetvahane, the office of the Şeyhülislam. Their jurisdiction covered most civil and legal matters, although cases involving the personal status of non-Muslim subjects, such as marriage and inheritance, were generally handled by the religious courts of their respective communities.
Quoting Annette F. Timm and Joshua A. Sanborn,
Specialized commercial courts were established in the mid-19th century, during the Tanzimat, following the promulgation of the Ottoman Commercial Code in 1860 and subsequent procedural regulations in 1861.: "[...] les tribunaux de commerce ont été créés par l'appendice au Code de Commerce, tidjaret kannoun-namé-i-houmayouna zëil, publié le 9 Cheval 1286 = 30 Avril 1860. La procédure à suivre devant ces tribunaux fut réglée par le Code de procédure commerciale, Oussoul-i-mouhakémé-i-tidjaret nizam-namessi du 10 Rébi ul akhir 1278 = 18 Octobre 1861. [...] L'établissement d'une justice civile commencée par l'institution des tribunaux de commerce s'est poursuivie par la création des tribunaux civils ordinaires (mehakim-i-nisamyié, houkouk mehkéméléri) (1281) dont l'organisation définitive se trouve réglée par la loi du 27 Djemazi-ul-akhir 1296 (Dustour IV p. 235), complétée par la loi sur l'exécution forcée des jugements portant la même date (D. IV p. 225) et par la loi sur la procédure civile du 2 Redjeb 1296 ) (D. IV p. 257). " The establishment of commercial courts marked the beginning of a broader process of secularization through law, which continued with the creation of the Nizamiye Courts system. Their foundations were laid with the 1864 Provincial Regulations, and the system was formally established in 1879.: "In 1879, the Ottoman administration officially created the nizamiye court system. The foundations of this court system date back to the 1864 Provincial Regulations." The enactement of the secular legal codes and the formation of the new secular court system "overshadowed" the sharia jurisdiction, the scope of which was eventually reduced "more or less to matters concerning personal status and waqf."
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