The Judiciary of England and Wales contains many levels, based on the court in which the judge sits. Titles are given to judges relating to their position and, in the case of knighthoods and peerages, this includes the positions they had previously held. Retired judges that sit in any court use their full name with their titles added (such as Sir or Dame, or post-nominal KC). Members or former members of the higher judiciary who are King's Counsel do not use the post-nominal letters KC.
Due to the various honours bestowed on members of the judiciary and traditions associated with the varying levels, their personal titles and forms of address often change as they progress in a judicial career.
Extant titles
Supreme Court and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in law reports, etc.) |
Form of address | Private title | Private form of address | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In court | Out of court | ||||||
| President of the Supreme Court[1] | The Right Hon. the President of the Supreme Court | Lord/Lady Jones P[2] | My Lord/Lady | Lord/Lady Jones | Lord/Lady Jones | Lord/Lady Jones | |
| Deputy President of the Supreme Court[1] | The Right Hon. the Deputy President of the Supreme Court | Lord/Lady Jones DP[2] | My Lord/Lady | Lord/Lady Jones | Lord/Lady Jones | Lord/Lady Jones | |
| Justice of the Supreme Court[1] | Male | The Right Hon. Lord Jones | Lord Jones SCJ[2] | My Lord | Lord Jones | Lord Jones | Lord Jones |
| Female | The Right Hon. Lady Smith | Lady Smith SCJ[2] | My Lady | Lady Smith | Lady Smith | Lady Smith | |
If there are two Justices of the Supreme Court with the same surname, then the junior Justice will take a territorial designation (i.e. "of [place]") in their title. When two or more Justices are referred at the same time in a law report, their post-nominal letters become SCJJ.[3]
Court of Appeal
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in law reports, etc.) | Form of address | Private title | Private form of address | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In court | Out of court | ||||||
| Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (if a peer) | The Right Hon. the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales | Lord Jones CJ | My Lord | Lord Chief Justice | Lord Jones (when title does not include a territorial designation)/The Lord Jones of Luton (when title includes a territorial designation) | Lord Jones | |
| Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England (Master of the Rolls) (if a peer) | The Right Hon. the Master of the Rolls | Lord Jones MR[3] | My Lord | Master of the Rolls | Lord Jones (when title does not include a territorial designation)/The Lord Jones of Luton (when title includes a territorial designation) | Lord Jones | |
| Master of the Rolls | The Right Hon. the Master of the Rolls | Sir John Smith MR[3] | My Lord | Master of the Rolls | Sir John Smith | Sir John | |
| Lord Justice of Appeal | Male | The Right Hon. Lord Justice Smith | Smith LJ[2] | My Lord | Judge | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Female | The Right Hon. Lady Justice Smith | Smith LJ[2] | My Lady | Judge | Dame Jane Smith | Dame Jane | |
If there are two Lord Justices of the Appeal with the same surname, then the junior Lord Justice will take their first name as part of their judicial title.[2] When two or more Lord Justices are referred at the same time in a law report, their post-nominal letters become LJJ.[3]
High Court
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in law reports, etc.) |
Form of address | Private title | Private form of address | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In court | Out of court | ||||||
| President of the King's Bench Division | Male | The Right Hon. the President of the King's Bench Division | Sir John Smith P[3] | My Lord | President | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Female | The Right Hon. the President of the King's Bench Division | Dame Jane Smith P[3] | My Lady | President | Dame Jane Smith | Dame Jane | |
| President of the Family Division | Male | The Right Hon. the President of the Family Division | Sir John Smith P[3] | My Lord | President | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Female | The Right Hon. the President of the Family Division | Dame Jane Smith P[3] | My Lady | President | Dame Jane Smith | Dame Jane | |
| Chancellor of the High Court | Male | The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the High Court | Sir John Smith C[3] | My Lord | Chancellor | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Female | The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the High Court | Dame Jane Smith C[3] | My Lady | Chancellor | Dame Jane Smith | Dame Jane | |
| Justice of His Majesty's High Court of Justice (High Court judge) | Male | The Hon. Mr Justice Smith | Smith J[2] | My Lord | Judge | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Female | The Hon. Mrs Justice Smith | Smith J[2] | My Lady | Judge | Dame Jane Smith | Dame Jane | |
| Insolvency and Companies Court Judge | Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Smith | ICC Judge Smith | Judge (unless sitting as a deputy High Court Judge, in which case My Lord or My Lady as appropriate) | Judge | |||
| Senior Master of the King's Bench Division | Master Smith | Master Smith | Judge | Master | |||
| Chief Master of the Chancery Division | Chief Master Smith | Master Smith | Judge | Master | |||
| Master | Master Smith | Master Smith | Judge | Master[4] | |||
| Registrar | Registrar Smith | Registrar Smith | Registrar | Registrar | |||
| Circuit Judge sitting as a High Court judge | His (Her) Honour Judge Smith (KC) | HHJ Smith (KC) | My Lord (Lady) | Judge | Judge Smith | Judge | |
| Barrister or solicitor sitting as a deputy High Court judge | John Smith (KC) | John Smith (KC)[2] | My Lord (Lady) | ||||
| Barrister or solicitor sitting as a Deputy Master of the High Court | Deputy Master Smith (KC) | Deputy Master Smith (KC) | Judge | Master | |||
If there are two Justices of the High Court with the same surname, then the junior Justice will take their first name as part of their judicial title.[2] When two or more Justices are referred at the same time in a law report, their post-nominal letters become JJ.[3]
Junior courts
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in law reports, etc.) | Form of address | Private title | Private form of address | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In court | Out of court | |||||
| Circuit Judge sitting at the Central Criminal Court | His (Her) Honour Judge Smith (KC) | HHJ Smith (KC) | My Lord (Lady) | Judge | Judge Smith | Judge |
| Honorary Recorder | His (Her) Honour Judge Smith (KC) | HHJ Smith (KC) | My Lord (Lady) | Judge | Judge Smith | Judge |
| Circuit Judge | His (Her) Honour Judge Smith (KC) | HHJ Smith (KC) | Your Honour | Judge | Judge Smith | Judge |
| Deputy Circuit Judge | His Honour John Smith (KC) | HH John Smith (KC) | Your Honour | |||
| Recorder sitting at the Central Criminal Court | Mr (Mrs) Recorder Smith (KC) | Mr (Mrs) Recorder Smith (KC) | My Lord (Lady) | |||
| Recorder | Mr (Mrs) Recorder Smith (KC) | Mr (Mrs) Recorder Smith (KC) | Your Honour | |||
| Adjudicator (Tribunal Judge) | Mr (Mrs) Adjudicator Smith (KC) | Mr (Mrs) Adjudicator Smith (KC) | Sir/Madam | |||
| District Judge | District Judge Smith (KC) | DJ Smith (KC) | Judge/Sir/Madam | Judge | ||
| District Judge (magistrates' courts) | District Judge (Magistrates' Courts) Smith | DJ(MC) Smith | Sir/Madam | Judge[5] | ||
| Deputy District Judge | Deputy District Judge Smith | DDJ Smith | Sir/Madam | |||
| Magistrate | John Smith JP | John Smith JP | Your Worships; Sir/Madam (if addressed individually) | |||
Extinct titles
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in law reports, etc.) | Form of address | Private title | Private form of address | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In court | Out of court | ||||||
| Lord Chancellor | The Right Hon. the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain | Lord Jones LC[2] | My Lord | Lord Chancellor | Lord Smith (when title does not include a territorial designation)/The Lord Jones of Luton (when title includes a territorial designation) | Lord Jones | |
| Lord of Appeal in Ordinary | Male | The Right Hon. Lord Smith/The Lord Jones of Luton | Lord Smith/Jones[2] | My Lord | Lord Smith/Jones | Lord Smith (when title does not include a territorial designation)/The Lord Jones of Luton (when title includes a territorial designation) | Lord Smith/Jones |
| Female | The Right Hon. Baroness Williams/The Baroness Hale of Richmond | Lady Hale[2] | My Lady | Baroness/Lady Williams/Hale | Baroness/Lady Williams (when title does not include a territorial designation)
The Baroness/Lady Hale of Richmond (when title includes a territorial designation) |
Baroness/Lady Williams/Hale | |
| Chief Justice of the Common Pleas | The Right Hon. the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas | Sir John Smith CJ | My Lord | Chief Justice | Sir John Smith | Sir John | |
| Chief Baron of the Exchequer | The Right Hon. the Lord Chief Baron | Sir John Smith LCB | My Lord | Lord Chief Baron Smith | Sir John Smith | Sir John | |
| Vice-Chancellor of the High Court | The Right Hon. the Vice-Chancellor | Sir John Smith V-C[3] | My Lord | Vice-Chancellor | Sir John Smith | Sir John | |
| Baron of the Exchequer | The Hon. Mr Baron Smith | Smith B | My Lord | Sir John Smith | Sir John | ||
References
- 1 2 3 "Biographies of the Justices". Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (PDF) (4th ed.). Oxon: OUP. 2012. p. 19. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (PDF) (4th ed.). Oxon: OUP. 2012. p. 20. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ↑ Smith, Chris (1 December 2022). "Message from the Lord Chief Justice and Senior President of Tribunals – Modes of address in courts and tribunals". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ↑ Smith, Chris (1 December 2022). "Message from the Lord Chief Justice and Senior President of Tribunals – Modes of address in courts and tribunals". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
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