The Superior Court of the Virgin Islands is a twenty-first century Court with a framework that was established more than half a century ago. In fact, the Colonial Laws of 1852 and 1903 established the first judicial system in the Virgin Islands which governed until 1918. Thereafter the system underwent several changes with the passage of various ordinances.
Today's Court evolved from three Police Courts in three major cities: the Police Court of Frederiksted, the Police Court of Christiansted, and the Police Court of Charlotte Amalie. These Courts existed under the 1920 - 1921 Judicial Codes.
In 1936, the Unites States Congress enacted the 1936 Organic Act of the Virgin Islands establishing a District Court of the Virgin Islands. In 1954, Congress passed a Revised Organic Act abolishing the Organic Act of 1936. Section 21 of that Act vested judicial power in a court of record called the District Court of the Virgin Islands, and in any lower courts established by local law. The three Police Courts were then abolished and in 1957, two municipal courts were established: one for St. Thomas and St. John and one for St. Croix.
After a decade of this judicial structure, on March 1, 1965, the two municipal courts were combined into a single court called the Municipal Court of the Virgin Islands. Thereafter, on September 9, 1976, pursuant to Act No. 3876 (§ 5, Sess. L. 1976, p. 17.) the Municipal Court of the Virgin Islands was renamed the Territorial Court of the Virgin Islands, the forerunner of today's Superior Court of the Virgin Islands.
Nearly 3 decades later, on October 1, 1991, the Territorial Court obtained jurisdiction over all local civil actions in accordance with 4 V.I. Code Ann. § 76(a), and on January 1, 1994, pursuant to Act 5890, the Legislature of the Virgin Islands granted expanded jurisdiction in criminal matters to the Territorial Court.
On October 29, 2004, pursuant to Act No. 6687, the Territorial Court of the Virgin Islands' name was officially changed to the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands. This Act also established a Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands.