civil judges

Justices of Supreme Court

• formerly known as Law Lords

• Superior judge

• 1st October 2009 under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005

  • act established SC

• judicial authority transferred from HofL to SC

• given title ‘Lord’ or ‘Lady’

• most senior judges in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Island

Justices of Supreme Court- Role

• final appeal court

  • criminal + mostly civil

• hear about 100 cases per year

• hear POL of great importance

• any decision on a POL becomes precedent

• must sit as uneven panel

  • min 3

  • usual 5

Lady Chief Justice + President of Courts of England and Wales

• Superior judge

• Role created by Constitutional Reform Act 2005

• LCJ head of judiciary in England and Wales

  • not responsible for Supreme Court

• can hear cases in all courts

  • sits in Court of Appeal

Lady Chief Justice + President of Courts of England and Wales- Role

• represents judiciary to Parliament

• responsible for:

  • training

  • welfare + guidance of judiciary

  • arranging where judges work + workload

Lord Justices of Appeal

• Superior judge

• Sit in both divisions of CofA

  • civil + criminal cases

• workload much heavier than SC

• Criminal division of CofA presided over by President of Courts of Eng+Wales

Lord Justices of Appeal- Role

• hear appeals Civil and Criminal cases

• hear over 7000 applications for ‘leave to appeal’ against sentence/conviction

• hear approx 1800 criminal appeal cases per year

• decisions on POL become precedents lower courts must follow

• usually sit as panel of 2/3

High Court Judges

• superior judge

• try serious Crown Court cases

• try first instance cases in 3 divisions of high court:

  1. Kings Bench Division

  2. Chancery

  3. Family

• decide:

  1. law

  2. verdict

  3. amount of damages awarded

• hear appeals from civil cases tried in county court

Circuit Judge

• Inferior judge

• County court

  • Try cases of first instance

• Decide:

  • fact of law

  • who has won case

Recorder

• Inferior judge

• Part time judge

  • Usually still practicing solicitors/barristers

  • Appointed for 5 years

• County court

• Role-

  • Try cases of first instance

  • Decide fact and law

  • Make decision who won case

District judge

• Inferior judge

• County court and magistrates court

• Role

  • Try cases of first instance

  • Decide the fact and law

  • Decision who has won the case

Role of judiciary at first instance in civil courts

• Pre-trial issues such as tracking + case management

• Acting as trial manager

• Hearing evidence and legal arguments during trial

• Ruling on legal issues during trial

• Deciding liability

• Awarding damages and other remedies such as injunctions