An apex court is the highest court in a national judicial system, it exercises appellate jurisdiction over all other courts, and, where applicable, original jurisdiction over constitutional matters. Most judges are appointed to apex courts from lower courts within the same hirearchy. In Japan, however, there are fifteen Supreme Court justices made up of equal numbers of career Judges, private lawyers, legal academics, public prosecutors, and bureaucrats. All must still hold legal qualifications and be leaders in their field.