Chile's legal system is a quilt of global and home-grown regulatory developments including a recently recognized heritage of indigenous community laws in various parts of the country. The Chilean court system has been historically divided in three levels: a national Supreme Court of 21 justices with full authority over ordinary judges; 17 appellate courts with jurisdiction over one or more provinces, and a series of local tribunals of first instance. There are also an Electoral Court responsible for protecting the national charter.