Legal personnel- different types of judges- Paper 1

Question 1

Types of inferior court judges

Answer 1

• District judges
• Recorders
• Circuit judges

Question 2

District judge

Answer 2

• Handle both criminal and civil cases
• Sit in place of 3 magistrates
• The lowest of the two courts
• They hear low value tort and contract cases

Question 3

How do you become a district judge

Answer 3

• Already qualified as solicitor/ barrister
• 5 years of experience or have been a deputy district judge

Question 4

Recorders

Answer 4

• Handle slightly more complicated cases in the county court and less serious cases in the crown court
• Similar to a circuit judge

Question 5

How do you become a recorder

Answer 5

• Part time position for solicitors/ barristers with 7 years experience

Question 6

Circuit judges

Answer 6

• County court
• Hear a wide range of cases including some property or family law
• some cases in crown court

Question 7

How do you become a circuit judge

Answer 7

• Solicitor/ barrister with 7 years of experience, and ideally has served as a district judge or recorder previously

Question 8

Types of superior court judges

Answer 8

• High court judges
• Lord justices of appeal
• Justices of the supreme court

Question 9

High court judges

Answer 9

• Handle cases in one of 3 divisions in the high court:
  1.Kings bench division; high value contract & tort cases as well as serious crown court cases
  2.Family division; divorce, distribution of assets, and welfare issues
  3.Chancery division; high value claims about business disputes and financial affairs
• May also assist lord justices of appeal with cases relating to their division

Question 10

How do you become a high court judge

Answer 10

• Barrister or solicitor for at least 7 years or been a circuit judge for 2 years
• Usually those appointed have been practising barristers for over 20 years

Question 11

Lord justices of appeal

Answer 11

• Cases in either civil or criminal division of the CoA
• Appeals from crown court or divisions of the county court

Question 12

How do you become a lord justice of appeal

Answer 12

• Qualified solicitor or barrister for at least 7 years or be an existing high court judge

Question 13

Justices of the supreme court

Answer 13

• Handle cases on matters of public importance in the supreme court

Question 14

how do you become a justice of the supreme court

Answer 14

• Chosen from either the CoA or those who have served in senior courts for at least 15 years