Organisation of the UK Judiciary

Question 1

What does the term ‘judiciary’ refer to?

Answer 1

it is a collective noun referring to all UK judges from lay magistrates up to to the Justices of the UKSC

Question 2

What is the job of Judges at all levels?

Answer 2

to ensure that justice is done and the law is applied

Question 3

At the lower levels of the judiciary, what are the 3 main roles of judges?

Answer 3

to preside over trials, give guidance to the jury and impose sentences

Question 4

At the Court of Appeal and in the Supreme Court, what are judges concerned with?

Answer 4

concerned with clarifying the meaning of the law rather than just applying it and set precedent

Question 5

What are cases heard by the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court usually a result from?

Answer 5

result from confusion in lower courts regarding the meaning of law

Question 6

What Act do the higher courts usually hear major cases on?

Answer 6

HRA 1998

Question 7

What is civil law concerned with?

Answer 7

Civil law is concerned with interrelationships between different individuals and groups

Question 8

Which 3 courts deal with civil cases?

Answer 8

1) County Courts
2) High Court
3) Court of appeal

Question 9

What civil cases do the County Courts deal with? (3)

Answer 9

They deal with small-scale civil cases such as

• disputes over contracts
• wills
• many divorce cases

Question 10

What are the 3 divisions of the High Court?

Answer 10

• Queens Bench Division
• Family Division
• Chancery Division

Question 11

What does criminal law deal with?

Answer 11

This deals with crimes by an individual or group against the state

Question 12

What are the 3 courts with deal with criminal cases?

Answer 12

1) Magistrates’ Courts
2) Crown Courts
3) Court of Appeal

Question 13

What percentage of criminal cases does the Magistrates Court hear?

Answer 13

97%

Question 14

How many Lords of Appeal were there in the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords before October 2009 (UKSC)?

Answer 14

12

Question 15

Who did the 12 Lords of Appeal perform a similar role to ?

Answer 15

US Supreme Court Justices

Question 16

How many Law Lords who compromised the HOL Appellate Committee moved to become the first justices of the new UKSC?

Answer 16

11 of the 12

Question 17

Who was the 12th Law Lord which accepted the position of Master of the Rolls in preference to joining the UKSC?

Answer 17

Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury

Question 18

Who filled the 12th place on the new UKSC?

Answer 18

Sir John Dyson

Question 19

What were the 4 roles that the new UKSC took on which were previously performed by the Law Lords?

Answer 19

• act as the final court of appeal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• hear appeals on issues of public importance surrounding arguable points of law
• hear appeals from civil cases in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland
• hear appeals from criminal cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Question 20

Which role did the new UKSC take on previously preformed by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council?

Answer 20

resolving disputes between the devolved governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and the UK Parliament

Question 21

What body previously resolved the disputes between the devolved governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the UK Parliament before taken by the new UKSC?

Answer 21

the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

Question 22

What was a main benefit of the new UKSC?

Answer 22

a separation of powers