What Are the Main Types of Judges?

To become a judge is a vital part of the UK legal system, overseeing court cases, interpreting the law, and ensuring justice is administered fairly by the legal system. There are different types of judges with differing responsibilities and jurisdictions. These are the main types of judges:

• Magistrates (Justices of the Peace): Magistrates are lay judges who preside over less serious criminal cases, such as minor assaults, motoring offenses, and public order cases. They sit in magistrates’ courts and do not need formal legal qualifications.
• District Judges: District judges sit on serious criminal cases in magistrates’ courts and on civil cases in county courts. They are full-time, legally qualified judges.
• Circuit Judges: Senior judges who sit in the County and Crown Courts. They hear trials, set sentences, and appeals in more serious civil and criminal cases.
• High Court Judges: High Court judges hear some of the most serious civil and criminal cases and appeals from lower courts. They sit in the High Court of Justice, which is divided into three divisions: Queen’s Bench, Family, and Chancery.
• Judges of the Court of Appeal (Lord Justice of Appeal): judges in the Court of Appeal who hear appeals from the High Court, Crown Court, and County Court. They decide issues of principle and give precedent to future cases.
• Supreme Court Judges (Justices of the Supreme Court): These are the most senior judges in the UK. They hear the most difficult and high-profile cases, including cases involving important constitutional or legal matters. The Supreme Court is the final court of appeal in the UK.
• Judges of the tribunal: Judges of the tribunal are entrusted with specific types of cases, such as employment disputes, immigration, and tax. They have specialized courts or tribunals and knowledge in particular areas of law.

What Does a Judge Do?

A judge is the person in charge of a court of law. They ensure that justice is served and dispensed in accordance with the law. In addition, they preside over court proceedings and make legal rulings. The following is a detailed breakdown of a judge’s duties:

• Preside Over Trials and Hearings: Judges conduct court proceedings according to law and ensure they are fair. They also keep order in the courtroom and allow each side to make its case.
• Interpret and Apply the Law: Judges interpret the law, legal precedents, and regulations to make case rulings. They also apply legal principles in making decisions that are consistent with the law.
• Decide Legal Issues: Judges decide whether to admit evidence, rule on legal objections, and issue judgments based on the facts and the law.
• Instruct Jurors: In a criminal case, judges read instructions to jurors regarding the legal standards they must apply in deliberating a case and clearly explain the relevant laws and procedures.
• Decide Guilt or Liability: In bench trials, where there is no jury, judges issue judgments for guilt or liability. In criminal cases, they impose sentences guided by the crime’s seriousness and determined by law.
• Ensure procedural fairness: Judges preside over trials to ensure that all parties’ legal rights are respected. In this role, they ensure that the proceedings are fair, free from prejudice, and adhere to legal principles.
• Handle Appeals: Judges of appeals courts review the decisions of the lower trial courts. They check for incorrect applications of law and procedure. They can reverse or otherwise modify the rulings in the lower courts.
• Opinions and Judgments: In appellate cases—where the first trial decision is overturned—or in more complex trials, judges write opinions or judgments explaining the decision. These opinions are precedents for future cases.

Average Judge Salary

The salary of a judge in the UK varies depending on their level of experience, the type of court they work in, and their jurisdiction. Senior judges, such as High Court and Supreme Court judges, typically earn higher salaries. Here’s an overview of typical judge salaries:

• Magistrates (Unpaid Volunteer Role): Magistrates work on a voluntary basis and are not paid, although they may receive allowances for travel and subsistence.
• District Judge: District judges can expect to earn between £115,000 and £125,000 annually, depending on their experience and role.
• Circuit Judge: Circuit judges typically earn between £140,000 and £160,000 per year.
• High Court Judge: High Court judges are among the highest-paid judges, earning approximately £180,000 to £200,000 per year.
• Court of Appeal Judge: Court of Appeal judges earn around £200,000 to £215,000 annually.
• Supreme Court Judge: Justices of the Supreme Court, the highest judicial office in the UK, earn between £220,000 and £240,000 per year.

Judge Skills

Becoming a successful judge requires a broad range of legal, analytical, and interpersonal skills. Judges must be able to interpret the law, assess evidence, and make impartial decisions. Here are the key skills required for a career as a judge:

• Sound Legal Understanding: Judges must have a deep understanding of the law, legal precedents, and court procedure to properly interpret and apply the law to cases.
• Analytical and Critical Thinking: Judges must weigh complex legal arguments, consider evidence, and evaluate what might be said from different perspectives before ruling. Good judgment is dependent on effective analysis.
• Impartiality and independence: Judges must be impartial and neutral and not take sides. Their decisions must be based on the facts and the law of the case and not on personal opinions and preferences.
• Attention to detail: Judges must examine the case materials, legal arguments, and evidence with great care to ensure they do not miss any detail while making their rulings.
• Communication Skills: One of the judge’s most important duties is communicating clearly and effectively with various audiences. Judges must explain legal principles, rulings, and jury instructions to lawyers, litigants, and the general public. Excellent writing and speaking skills are critical.
• Leadership and Courtroom Management: Leading and managing people are critical in any legal environment. Judges must lead court proceedings and manage the courtroom to ensure that proceedings are carried out orderly and justly.
• Decision Making in Pressure Situations: Judges must be able to make quick judgments when they are under pressure. They often have to choose between a range of considerations, including legal principles, evidence, and fairness.

Judge Tips

Here are some practical tips for aspiring judges:

• Gain Experience as a Barrister or Solicitor: Most judges begin their legal careers as barristers or solicitors. This experience is essential for developing a deep understanding of the law, court procedures, and advocacy.
• Build an Impressive Resume and Reputation: Judges are generally appointed based on their expertise, professionalism, and reputation within the legal community. As a barrister or solicitor, it is a good idea to build up an impressive resume and reputation.
• Apply for Judicial Appointment or Qualification: In the UK, the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) makes such appointments. Consider qualifying as a recorder (part-time judge) or applying for other judicial positions.
• Aspiring Judges: Increase your legal knowledge base. To prepare for judicial office, expand your knowledge of different areas of the law. Judges are expected to have expertise in a broad variety of legal matters.
• Write Well: As a judge, you must communicate legal principles, procedures, and decisions to the public, juries, and lawyers.

Judge Requirements

Becoming a judge in the UK is a path taken after years of legal experience and a good reputation in the legal field. In most cases, a judge is appointed after working in a position as a barrister or solicitor for many years. Here are the common rules for becoming a judge:

• Qualified Barrister or Solicitor: Almost all judges become judges after a career either as qualified barristers or solicitors. You must complete the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) to become a barrister or the Legal Practice Course (LPC) to become a solicitor.
• Years of legal experience: You must have practiced law for years before becoming a judge (usually 7-10 years or more). It’s fairly difficult to work your way up to being a barrister or a solicitor (a lawyer who represents a client in court or a lawyer who works in a law firm) because you have to build a reputation for being a good lawyer before you’re considered for a judicial post.
• How judges are appointed: The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) appoints judges through an application process, an assessment process, and panel interviews.

How to Become a Judge

Here’s a step-by-step guide to becoming a judge in the UK:

• Obtain a Law Degree (LLB): Either attain a degree in law (LLB) or a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) if you have a non-law degree.
• Qualify as a barrister or solicitor: Finally, you can qualify as a barrister or a solicitor if you complete the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) or the Legal Practice Course (LPC), respectively. Once you finish, you’ll need to complete a pupillage (barristers) or training contract (solicitors) before you can practice.
• Get some legal experience: Practice as a barrister or solicitor for a few years, establishing expertise in law. Judges are often appointed after seven or ten years of legal experience.
• Apply for Judicial Roles: After you have gained significant legal experience, you can apply for judicial positions. The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) appoints people to these roles, and the process involves submitting an application, undertaking assessments, and attending interviews.
• Becoming a Recorder: A recorder is a part-time judge who sits in a criminal or civil court and hears cases as a part-time judge. Most recorders see it as a stepping stone to becoming a full-time judge. They can experience sitting as a judicial office holder while continuing their legal practice.
• Follow Continuing Legal Education and Training: Judges need to keep on top of developments in the law, case law, and changes to the law… You will be required to undertake continuing legal education and training throughout your career.
• Apply for higher judicial positions: If you have suitable experience, you can apply for promotion to Circuit Judge, High Court Judge, or Court of Appeal Judge at any time. The Commission follows each step with further assessment.
• Serve with Integrity and Impartiality: As a judge, you must apply the law impartially and without bias, making your decisions only based on the evidence before you and the requirements of the law. Your integrity and the highest standards of judicial conduct will contribute to public confidence in the rule of law.

Get Qualified as a Judge

British Law Concepts, Certificate in Property Law, Advanced Diploma in Tort Law, Fundamentals of Employment Law in the UK

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Should You Become a Judge?

It would allow you to help uphold justice and apply the law in important ways that influence people and the society around you. It would be a highly prestigious career where you can use your legal knowledge and experience to foster fair and just outcomes in court. So, if you are interested in the law and want an intellectually challenging, leadership-oriented, and socially beneficial career, becoming a judge might be the job for you.

Is Being a Judge a Good Career Choice for You?

Being a judge could be a wonderful career if you know the law, have top-notch analytical skills, and have a strong sense of justice. Judges need to be impartial, fair, and objective, and they often make difficult decisions in the face of intense pressure. The occupation requires patience, perseverance, and respect for the rule of law. If you possess these qualities, a judge could be a great career option for you.

Judge Salaries

The lowest-level Court of Judicature, the UK’s equivalent of a superior court, is the County Court, and it starts at a salary of £115,000. The UK’s High Court, the highest level that deals with civil matters (meaning most non-criminal cases), starts at a salary of £180,000 to £200,000. The Supreme Court justices earn more than £220,000 and, for some justices, more than £240,000. Entry-level judges, called district judges, make £115,000 to £125,000.

Which Qualifications Can Help with a Career as a Judge?

To become a judge, one must qualify as either a barrister or a solicitor, acquire some considerable legal experience, and then apply to the Judicial Appointments Commission for judicial office. Thirdly, it may help to qualify as a recorder.

Do I Need Experience to Get Started as a Judge?

Yes, you must have a lot of experience as a barrister or solicitor before becoming a judge. Judges have to be appointed after they have spent around 7-10 years or more practicing as lawyers. This ensures you have the important legal knowledge and judgment before becoming a judge.

Judge Career Outlook

With a huge backlog of civil and criminal cases to deal with and more to come, there will always be a need for judges. They are central to the administration of justice and have a career for life, topped up by promotions to higher courts and specialist judicial roles. The future for judges remains bright. The salary is competitive, and the work can be interesting, challenging, and, on occasion, rewarding, with the opportunity to work in some of the most prestigious courts in the UK.

Judge Hierarchy and Progressing Within the Role

Judges can become district, circuit, high court, and even the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court members. With each appointment, the workload becomes more onerous, and you preside over bigger and more complicated cases the higher you go in the judicial system. Some judges can even become heads of legal divisions or leaders in the judiciary.

Judge exit options and opportunities

Retired or retiring judges have a variety of exit options: many return to private legal practice, especially as advisers or consultants; some engage in legal education or lecturing and writing on the law; and retired judges often serve on tribunals, commissions, or inquiries, using their legal skills to continue contributing to the justice system.