Judicial titles in England and Wales
Encyclopedia
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in Law Reports, etc.) | Form of address in court | Form of address out of court | Private title | Private form of address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,... |
The Right Hon. The Right Honourable The Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere... the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales |
Lord Jones of Luton, C.J. / L.C.J. | My Lord Lord Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'... |
Lord Chief Justice; Chief Justice | Lord Jones of Luton | Lord Jones |
| Male Master of the Rolls Master of the Rolls The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal... (if a peer Peerage The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system... ) |
The Right Hon. the Master of the Rolls | Lord Smith of Luton, M.R. | My Lord | Master of the Rolls | Lord Smith of Luton | Lord Smith |
| Other male Lord of Appeal Lord of Appeal Lord of Appeal may mean:*Lord of Appeal in Ordinary or Law Lord carrying out the judicial functions of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom*Lord Justice of Appeal, a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales... |
The Right Hon. Lord Jones of Luton | Lord Jones of Luton | My Lord | Lord Jones | Lord Jones of Luton | Lord Jones |
| Female Lord of Appeal Lord of Appeal Lord of Appeal may mean:*Lord of Appeal in Ordinary or Law Lord carrying out the judicial functions of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom*Lord Justice of Appeal, a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales... |
The Right Hon. Baroness Baroness Baroness is the female equivalent of the nobility title Baron.Baroness or The Baroness may also refer to:* Baroness , a metal band from Savannah, Georgia* Baroness , a fictional villain in the G.I... Williams of Highgate |
Baroness Williams of Highgate | My Lady Lady The word lady is a polite term for a woman, specifically the female equivalent to, or spouse of, a lord or gentleman, and in many contexts a term for any adult woman... |
Lady Williams | Lady Williams of Highgate | Lady Williams |
Heads of Division and Court of Appeal
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in Law Reports, etc.) | Form of address in court | Form of address out of court | Private title | Private form of address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male Master of the Rolls (if not a peer) | The Right Hon. the Master of the Rolls | Sir Sir Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures... John Smith, M.R. |
My Lord | Master of the Rolls | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Male President of the Queen's Bench Division President of the Queen's Bench Division The President of the Queen's Bench Division is the head of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice. The current President is Sir John Thomas.... |
The Right Hon. the President of the Queen's Bench Division | Sir John Smith, P. | My Lord | President | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Male President of the Family Division President of the Family Division The President of the Family Division is the head of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice in England and Wales. The Family division was created in 1971, out of the former Admiralty Court and probate courts into the then Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division.As of 13 April 2010,... |
The Right Hon. the President of the Family Division | Sir John Smith, P. | My Lord | President | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Male Chancellor of the High Court Chancellor of the High Court The Chancellor of the High Court is the head of the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. Before October 2005, when certain provisions of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 took effect, the office was known as the Vice-Chancellor... |
The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the High Court | Sir John Smith, C. | My Lord | Chancellor | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
Lords Justices of Appeal
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in Law Reports, etc.) | Form of address in court | Form of address out of court | Private title | Private form of address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other male Lord Justice of Appeal Lord Justice of Appeal A Lord Justice of Appeal is an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, and represents the second highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales-Appointment:... |
The Right Hon. Lord Justice Smith | Smith L.J. | My Lord | Judge | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Other male Lord Justice of Appeal (where there is another judge of the same surname) | The Right Hon. Lord Justice Paul Smith | Paul Smith L.J. | My Lord | Judge | Sir Paul Smith | Sir Paul |
| Female Lord Justice of Appeal | The Right Hon. Lady Justice Evans | Evans L.J. | My Lady | Judge | Dame Knight A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior.... Mary Evans |
Dame Mary |
High Court judges
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in Law Reports, etc.) | Form of address in court | Form of address out of court | Private title | Private form of address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other male Justice of the High Court | The Hon. Mr Justice Smith | Smith J. | My Lord | Judge | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Other male Justice of the High Court (where there is another judge of the same surname) | The Hon. Mr Justice Paul Smith | Paul Smith J. | My Lord | Judge | Sir Paul Smith | Sir Paul |
| Female Justice of the High Court | The Hon. Mrs Justice Evans | Evans J. | My Lady | Judge | Dame Mary Evans | Dame Mary |
High Court masters and registrars
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in Law Reports, etc.) | Form of address in court | Form of address out of court | Private title | Private form of address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master | Master Smith | Master Smith | Master | |||
| Registrar | Mr Registrar Smith | Mr Registrar Smith (Registrar Smith if female) | Sir/Madam |
Other judges
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in Law Reports, etc.) | Form of address in court | Form of address out of court | Private title | Private form of address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male circuit judge sitting as a judge of the High Court, at the Central Criminal Court Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court... , or if an Honorary Recorder |
His Honour His Honour His Honour or Her Honour is an honorific prefix which is traditionally applied to certain classes of people, in particular justices and judges and mayors... Judge Smith (Q.C. Queen's Counsel Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law... , if appropriate) |
H.H.J. Smith (Q.C., if appropriate) | My Lord | Judge | Judge Smith | Judge |
| Other circuit judge | His Honour Judge Smith (Q.C., if appropriate) | H.H.J. Smith (Q.C., if appropriate) | Your Honour | Judge | Judge Smith | Judge |
| Recorder Recorder (judge) A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges... |
Mr Recorder Smith (Q.C., if appropriate) | Mr Recorder Smith (Q.C., if appropriate) | Your Honour | |||
| Adjudicator (Tribunal Judge) | Mr Adjudicator Smith (Q.C., if appropriate) | Mr Adjudicator Smith (Q.C., if appropriate) | Sir/Madam Madam Madam, or madame, is a polite title used for women which, in English, is the equivalent of Mrs. or Ms., and is often found abbreviated as "ma'am", and less frequently as "ma'm". It is derived from the French madame, which means "my lady", the feminine form of lord; the plural of ma dame in this... |
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| Deputy circuit judge | His Honour John Smith (Q.C., if appropriate) | HH John Smith (Q.C., if appropriate) | Your Honour | |||
| District judge | District Judge Smith | DJ Smith | Sir/Madam | |||
| District judge (Magistrates Courts) | District Judge (Magistrates Courts) Smith | DJ(MC) Smith | Sir/Madam | |||
| Deputy district judge | Deputy District Judge Smith | DDJ Smith | Sir/Madam | |||
| Magistrate Magistrate A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a... |
John Smith, Esq., J.P. | John Smith, J.P. | Your Worship; Sir/Madam |
Historic judicial titles
| Office | Judicial title | Abbreviated title (in Law Reports, etc.) | Form of address in court | Form of address out of court | Private title | Private form of address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Chancellor Lord Chancellor The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign... |
The Right Hon. the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain | Lord Jones of Luton, L.C. | My Lord | Lord Chancellor | Lord Jones of Luton | Lord Jones |
| Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench | The Right Hon. the Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench | Lord Jones of Luton, C.J. | My Lord | Lord Chief Justice | Lord Jones of Luton | Lord Jones |
| Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Chief Justice of the Common Pleas The Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, was the second highest common law court in the English legal system until 1880, when it was dissolved. As such, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was one of the highest judicial officials in England, behind only the Lord... |
The Right Hon. the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas | Sir John Smith, C.J. | My Lord | Chief Justice | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" of the English Exchequer of pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who presided in the equity court and answered the bar i.e... |
The Right Hon. the Lord Chief Baron | Sir John Smith, L.C.B. / C.B. | My Lord | Lord Chief Baron | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Vice-Chancellor | The Right Hon. the Vice-Chancellor | Sir John Smith, V.-C. | Your Honour | Vice-Chancellor | Sir John Smith | Sir John |
| Other Baron of the Exchequer | The Hon. Mr Baron Smith | Smith B. | My Lord | Sir John Smith | Sir John |