ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Court

Okay, so imagine you and your friends are playing a game and someone does something that's not fair or against the rules. You might get mad or upset and want to do something about it. Well, that's sort of like what a court is. It's a place where people go when something bad happens, and they need someone to help them figure out what to do next.

But instead of just one person deciding what's fair, there are usually lots of people involved. First, there's a person called a judge, who's sort of like the grown-up in charge of the game. The judge listens to both sides and helps them figure out what's fair and what should be done to make things right.

There are also other people in the courtroom, like lawyers. They're like your friends who help you make your case when you're upset about something. They talk to the judge and try to explain why their side is right and the other side is wrong.

Sometimes people have to give some of their money or property to make things right, or they might have to do something to make up for what they did wrong. When everything is figured out, the judge makes sure that everybody follows the rules and does what they're supposed to do.

So that's what a court is. It's a place where people go when they need help figuring out how to make things fair again after something bad happens.
Related topics others have asked about: