judiciary

• the role of a judge is that it makes decisions in respect of disputes by applying the law in a fair, unbiased way
• there are two categories of a judge

  • superior - high court and above
  • inferior - lower courts
• types of superior judges

  • justices of the supreme court - has to have been a solicitor for 15 years
  • lord justices of appeal in the court of appeal - been a solicitor for 7 years
  • high court judges - been a solicitor for 7 years or a circuit judge for 2 years
• types of inferior judges

  • circuit judges - been a solicitor for 7 years or been a district judge for 3 years
  • recorders - have been a solicitor for 7 years
  • district judges - been a solicitor for 5 years
  • tribunal judges - been a solicitor for 5 years for lower tribunal
• the role of superior judges justice of supreme court

  • hear appeals from court of appeal civil division and the high court
  • hear appeals on points of law
  • listen to legal arguments
  • their decisions become precedents
• role of lord justices of appeal

  • hear appeals from high, crown and county court
  • hear appeals against the findings of guilt about the sentence awarded
• role of high court judges

  • hear cases of first instances and appeals
  • high court judges hear case stated appeals from the mags court
• role of circuit, district judges and recorders

  • hear cases of first instance and decide the law and facts
  • allocate cases to correct tracks in civil law
  • hear some track appeals
  • make the decision and state the remedy
• lord justice of the supreme court

  • hear about 100 cases a year
  • cases are appeal cases but tend to be civil
  • must sit as uneven number - minimum is 3
  • decision of SC become precedents for lower courts
• lord justices of appeal

  • all cases are appeals
  • deal with both civil and criminal
  • tend to sit as 3 but can sit as 5 for important cases
  • decisions by CoA become precedent which lower courts must follow
• high court judges

  • try cases at first instance - hear evidence from witnesses and makes a decision
  • judge tends to sit alone
  • judges from kings bench sit in crown court to hear criminal trials - they sit with jury
• inferior judges

  • circuit judges sit in county court to hear civil cases - sit alone - and in crown to hear criminal - with a jury
  • recorders are part time judges - mainly used in crown court to try criminal but can be used in county to help with civil
  • district judges sit in county court to deal with small claims cases and can hear others - district judges try criminal cases in the mags court