judicaiary in britain Flashcards
Who holds the following positions of responsibility in our judiciary? (7 marks)
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS (Alison Saunders QC)
ATTORNY GENERAL Geoffrey Cox QC MP
SOLICTOR GENERAL Robert Buckland QC MP
LORD CHIEF JUSTICE The Right Honourable The Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd
MASTER OF THE ROLLS (Sir Terence Etherton)
PRESIDENT OF THE FAMILY DIVISION, AND HEAD OF FAMILY JUSTICE (Andrew MacFarlane)
LORD CHANCELLOR (David Gauke)
Which position is the odd one out? (1 mark)
Lord Chancellor is no longer both political and judicial, others are judicial
What does the term ‘ultra vires’ mean? (1 mark)
Latin, meaning “beyond the powers.” Actions taken by government bodies or corporations that exceed the scope of power given to them by laws.
What is judicial review? (1 mark)
is the power of a senior judge at the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court to review the actions of government and quangos, declaring them unlawful if they have exceeded their authority.
Give 1 example of a successful judicial review case. (1 mark)
Ghurkas, Save Southall Black Sisters, Building Schools for the Future programme, Independent Living Fund.
Name one of the courts which has the power to set legal precedent. (1 mark)
Court of Appeal or Supreme Court
What is case law? (1 mark)
laws established by judgements made in former cases
What is statute law? Give an example. (2 marks)
laws created by parliament e.g. HRA 1998, FOI 2004
What is criminal law? (1 mark)
cases against the state/law e.g. murder, arson
What is civil law? (1 mark)
cases between civilians e.g. wills, neighbour disputes
What act of parliament created the Supreme Court? (1 mark)
Constitutional Reform Act 2005
When did the Supreme Court actually start? (1 mark)
1 October 2009
What is the difference between judicial independence and judicial neutrality? (1 mark)
Independence means that judges are free from political pressure but neutrality suggests that judges themselves are free from political leaning/bias.
