the judiciary

• what courts are superior judges part of?

  high court & above
• what is the head of the judiciary called?

  lady / lord chief justice
• what are the sc judges called?

  justicies of the supreme court
• what the judges of the coa called?

  lord justices of appeal
• what are the judges of the high court called?

  high court judges / puisne judges
• where can judges in the king's bench division also sit?

  in crown court
• what courts are the inferior judges part of?

  courts below the high court
• what are the judges of the crown & county courts called?

  circuit judges
• what role does the crown & county courts also have?

  recorder
• what are recorders?

  part-time judges
• what type of judge can sit in magistrates & county courts?

  district judges
• what do district judges deal with?

  small claims & other matters
• what extra type of judge deals with things such as family matters?

  tribunal judges
• what act set out the qualifications needed for each level of the judiciary?

  the court & legal services act 1990
• what were the justices of the sc formerly known as?

  law lords
• who appoints JOTSC?

  those who hold high judicial positions
• what are the requirements to become a JOTSC?

  been judge in CoA or senior courts for at least 15 years
• approximately how many civil & criminal appeal cases a year come to the SC?

  100
• what do JOTSC deal with?

  points of law of general public importance
• what numbers do JOTSC sit in?

  uneven panel - minimum 3
• what are the requirements to become a lord justice of appeal?

  qualified solicitor or barrister & experience in law for at least 7 years
• what type of cases do LJOA sit in?

  Civil & criminal
• what numbers do LJOA sit in?

  panel of 3, maximum 5
• for criminal trials in CoA how many applications for leave do they recieve?

  7000
• how many applications for leave are successful?

  1/4
• how many appeals does full court hear?

  1,800
• how many appeals does the civil division of the CoA receive?

  over 3000
• what qualifications do you require to become a high court judge?

  barrister or solicitor for with at least 7 years experience
• how is it decided which division of the high court a judge goes in?

  assigned a division - KBD, family or chancery
• what is the high court judge's main function?

  to deal with cases at first instance (work alone)
• for appeals (top row of high court) how many judges sit?

  panel of 2
• what qualifications do you require to become a circuit judge?

  barrister or solicitor with 7+ years of experience, a recorder, or other low level judge
• how many civil & criminal cases do circuit judges hear?

  over 600
• what qualifications do you require to become a recorder?

  solicitor or barrister with 7+ years experience
• what is different about a recorder compared to a circuit judge?

  work part-time with a 5 year contract
• what qualifications do you require to become a district judge?

  barrister or solicitor with 5+ years experience
• how were judges selected before the reform act 2005 happened?

  -lord chancellor selected them based on opinions of existing judges
• what were these private discussions between existing judges known as?

  secret soundings
• why was this method of selection not independent?

  Lord chancellor was a political appointment
• how were judges selected after the reform act 2005 came into force?

  judicial appointments commission recruited judges