British Judicial System

[Barrister]

More questions from America. I am reading, and thoroughly enjoying, the new book by Kate Summerscale, The Wicked Boy. In it, a barrister referred to someone in a judicial capacity as Your Worship. My question is: What rank does a person have to have to be called Your Worship? In films I have seen, barristers trying cases in the Old Bailey referred to the judge as My Lord. That brings my second question. Are any persons who are not members of the House of Lords eligible to be trial judges? I am an attorney and I have encountered many judges who consider themselves to be deities, but we don't refer to them as "Worship." Thanks for your insight.

[David Orsam]

It's the form of address to a magistrate.

[ChrisGeorge]

More questions from America. I am reading, and thoroughly enjoying, the new book by Kate Summerscale, The Wicked Boy. In it, a barrister referred to someone in a judicial capacity as Your Worship. My question is: What rank does a person have to have to be called Your Worship? In films I have seen, barristers trying cases in the Old Bailey referred to the judge as My Lord. That brings my second question. Are any persons who are not members of the House of Lords eligible to be trial judges? I am an attorney and I have encountered many judges who consider themselves to be deities, but we don't refer to them as "Worship." Thanks for your insight.

Hello Barrister

Check out these web pages --

"Magistrates generally sit in threes in order to give judgement on a variety of cases in magistrates' courts, youth courts and family proceedings courts. The lead magistrate, known as the chairman, is formally addressed in court as 'sir' or 'madam' or 'your worship', and the magistrates collectively as 'your worships'. In law reports, they are referred to as 'John Smith JP' (for justice of the peace)."

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magist...and_and_Wales)

"Magistrates who hear most criminal cases, which tend to be contested speeding tickets and the like, do not get to dress up and instead wear suits. Barristers call them 'Sir' or 'Madam' whilst solicitors often call them 'Your Worship'. All lawyers in magistrate courts wear suits as well. "

From http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph....BritishCourts

[GUT]

They also have very limited powers.

I know that in years past the term Your Worship was, in England reserved for Lay Justices, as opposed to those who were trained in law.

Here in Australia we saw the light and now call them all Your Honour.

Once upon a time I had a highly mixed practice and in one day had to use the titles:

Master
Your Worship
Judicial Registrar
President
Member and
Your Honour

Yep all in one day, it could get confusing.

I had an early mention in the Local Court (Your Worship), followed by a teleconference in the Residential Tribunal (member) while on my way to the Supreme Court for an appeal from a local Court decision (Master, and to confuse things further it was a woman Master), take judgement in a Court of Appeal matter (Mr President). Then after lunch to the Family Court for release of some subpoenaed documents (Registrar) then before Judicial Registrar (a form of lower level Family Law Judge that has since been abolished) who decided he couldn't deal with the matter so transferred us to a Family Court Judge (Your Honour), it all became rather confusing.

And yes that was a real day, I must say the $$$$ were nice, the workload horrendous and keeping all those names straight..... ???