The Judiciary (Papers 1, 2, & 3) Flashcards
The Judiciary
Collective name for judges
Superior judges
Judges who sit in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, and the High Court
Inferior judges
Judges who sit in the Crown Court, County Court, Magistrates Court, and tribunals
Justices of the Supreme Court
Formerly known as the Law Lords, and sit in the Supreme Court so are the most senior judges in the UK. They hear points of law of great importance, and any decision on a point of law becomes precedent, they must sit as an uneven panel to hear a case
Senior Judges of the Court of Appeal
Formerly Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal, they hear appeals, usually sit in a panel of 3, and decisions on points of law become precedents which lower courts must follow
High Court Judges
Puisne judges, sit in the High Court or the Crown Court. In the King’s Bench Division of the High Court they hear criminal appeals (law only) from the Magistrates Court
Circuit Judges
Sit in the Crown Court, hear criminal trials, decide the law, and the sentence if guilty
Recorders
Part time judges, usually still practicing solicitors or barristers, and sit in the Crown Court
District Judges
Sit in the Magistrates Court, they try criminal cases, sit alone, decide facts and law, decide sentence if guilty