Judge
- For the hardcore band Judge, see Judge (band)
A judge or justice is an appointed or elected official who presides over a court. The powers, functions, and training of judges varies widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
A judge can also be simply a qualified person who evaluates and passes judgement on anything; for example, a judge at a county fair might award prizes to the best cattle or best home-made jam; a judge at a dog show determines which of several dogs best meets the standards for the breed.
Judges in the Legal System
Judges are considered to be the leaders of one of the three branches of government, the judiciary. In a democratic country, a judges powers and influences are supposed to operate independently of any of the other branches of government.
In the USA, judges are not trained separately from lawyers and are generally appointed or elected from among practicing attorneys. In most civil law jurisdictions judges go to special schools to be trained after graduating with a legal degree from a university; after such training they become investigative judges, see inquisitorial system. In common law countries, judges usually operate according to the adversarial system of justice under the applicable rules of civil procedure.
In the common law system, when there is a jury trial, the judge generally decides issues of law, i.e. which law applies and what the law requires, while the jury decides facts, i.e who did what, who is guilty, what is the amount of damages. Historically in Europe in the middle ages, juries often stated the law by consensus or majority and the judge applied it to the facts as he saw them. This practice generally no longer exists. Notably, while common law jurisdictions retain the jury system, civil law has often abandoned the jury in favor of a judge-based system.
Symbols of Office
Being a judge is usually a prestigious position in society, and as a result a variety of solemn traditions have become associated with the occupation. In most nations of the world judges wear long robes, usually black or red, and sit on an elevated platform during trials. The standard judges uniform originated with the Roman toga.
In some countries, notably Britain, judges also wear long wigs and use special gavels to instill order in the courtroom.
In the People's Republic of China, judges wore regular street clothes until 1984, when they began to wear military style uniforms, which were intended to demonstrate authority. These uniforms were replaced in 2000 by black robes similar to those in the rest of the world.
Nomenclature
In most English speaking countries (particularly the United States) a judge is addressed as "Your Honor" when presiding over the judge's court, as a sign of respect for the office.
The judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, and the judges of the supreme courts of several U. S. states and other countries are called "justices." In the United Kingdom, a comparable rank is held by the House of Lords; its judges are not called judges, but Law Lords, and sit in the House of Lords as peers. The justices of the supreme courts usually hold higher offices than the justice of the peace, a judge who holds police court in some jurisdictions and who typically tries small claims and misdemeanors. However, the state of New York inverts the usual order, with the Supreme Court of the State of New York being the trial court, and the Court of Appeals being the highest court.
Judges of courts of limited jurisdiction (such as bankruptcy courts or juvenile courts) were sometimes known officially as referees, but this usage seems to be declining.
Famous and Infamous Judges
Listed chronologically by date of birth.
Famous Fictional Judges
This list includes both judges from the world of fiction, as well as people who use the prefix 'Judge' but who are not actually judges.
- Judge Di
- Judge Dredd (see also Judge (2000 AD))
- Judge Jules
- Judge Nutmeg
See also judiciary, court dress, list of jurists, barrister, solicitor, attorney
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