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UNIT 4The British Judiciary 

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Separation of powers in theBritish context

- UK constitution (not written down in one document) – “weakseparation of powers”, rather “partia fusion of powers”

!rincipe of !ariamentar" so#erei$nt"

- !ariament cannot %e controed %" &udiciar"

 The 'onarch - a forma roe in the fusion of the #arious arms of state

a) a part of the !ariament – summons and disso#es it, $i#es o"a ssent to a*is so that the" %ecome cts+

%) appoints a o#ernment ministers+ the" $o#ern in the name of the rown

c) appoints a senior &ud$es+ a pu%ic prosecutions are %rou$ht in his or her name

 The !rime 'inistera) *" con#ention must %e a mem%er of the o#ernment+ can %e remo#ed from o.ce %" a

simpe ma&orit" #ote of !ariament

%) a mem%er of the /ouse of ommons

The Judiciary – no &udicia independence unti the esta%ishment of the0upreme ourt of the UK in 1223

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Before the Constitutional ReformAct 2005

The House of Lords– the second cham%er of the e$isature

- the hi$hest court of appea in the UK (Judicial Committee)

Lord Chancellor (appointed %" the 0o#erei$n

  on the ad#ice of the !rime 'inister)

- 'inister of ustice (mem%er of the o#ernment) – appoints

new &ud$es

- senior &ud$e and /ead of udiciar" -presides o#er the

 udicia ommittee of the /ouse of 5ords

- a mem%er of the !ariament – 0peaker of the /ouse of 5ords

  contrar" to the principe of &udicia independence and the separationof powers

Law Lords (Lords of Appeal in Ordinary)

– mem%ers of the /ouse of 5ords+ - &ud$es of the ppeate ommittee as thehi$hest court in 6n$and and 7aes- the 8na ar%iters of &udicia disputes in

the UK

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Towards greater separation –the Constitutional Reform Act

2005• a set of reforms aimed at increasin$ the transparenc" of thes"stem and carif"in$ the reationship %etween the three arms ofthe state -

• came into force on 9 pri 122:

  A) Reforming the role of Lord Chancellor

  B) A new upreme Court

  C) Reform of the system for !udicialappointments

-  &ud$es – now tru" independent - &udicia independence is now

o.cia" enshrined in aw

- chan$ed dramatica" the 5ord hanceor;s roe - remo#ed the &udicia functions from the o.ce of the 5ord hanceor

- the rea di<erences - the wa" &ud$es are appointed and the wa"compaints are deat with

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After the Constitutional ReformAct 2005

A) The Lord Chancellor- 'inister of ustice (mem%er of the a%inet)

- 'em%er of the !ariament

- no on$er the 0peaker of the /ouse of 5ords

- no on$er appoints &ud$es-  &udicia functions transferred to the !resident of the ourts of

6n$and and 7aes (the 5ord hief ustice of 6n$and and7aes)

B) The Lord Chief Justice of "ngland and #ales - head of the &udiciar" of 6n$and and 7aes - responsi%e for the

trainin$, $uidance and depo"ment of &ud$es and representsthe #iews of the &udiciar" of 6n$and and 7aes to !ariamentand ministers 

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After the ConstitutionalReform Act 2005

C) upreme Court of the $nited %ingdom- esta%ished in =cto%er 1223

-  repaced the ppeate ommittee of the /ouse of 5ords

- independent, separate from the /ouse of 5ords and with its

own independent appointments s"stem, sta<, %ud$et and,its own %uidin$

- 5aw 5ords in o.ce %ecame ustices of the 0upreme ourtand ost their ri$ht to speak and #ote in the /ouse of 5ordsunti their retirement as ustices of the new court

&) Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC)

' responsi%e for seectin$ candidates to recommend for &udicia appointment to the 0ecretar" of 0tate for ustice('6IT remains the soe criterion for appointment)

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The Judiciar – Tpes of

!udges

I 0uperior &ud$es

 ustices of the 0upreme ourt – sit in the 0upreme ourt

5ords ustices of ppea – sit in the ourt of ppea

/i$h ourt &ud$es – sit in the three di#isions of the /i$h ourt

!uisne &ud$es – sit in the /i$h ourt

II Inferior &ud$es ircuit &ud$es – sit in %oth the rown ourt and the ount" ourt

(%arristers of at east ten "ears; standin$)

ecorders – part-time &ud$es sittin$ usua" in the rown ourt(%arristers of at east ten "ears; standin$)

>istrict &ud$es – e$a" trained and paid &ud$es of the 'a$istrates;ourts (pre#ious" known as stipendiar" ma$istrates+ %arristers of ateast ?-"ears; standin$)

 ustices of the !eace !s – a" ma$istrates of the 'a$istrates; ourts(without e$a trainin$ and unpaid)

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The British Judiciar

– Reading comprehensionI ead part I of the te@t (: para$raphs)A

7hich powers did the 5ord hanceor e@ercise %efore theonstitutiona eform ct 122BC

7h" was it important to chan$e the roe of the 5ord hanceorC

7hich ommission was set up in 122: and which responsi%iities didit take o#erC

In what wa" has the roe of the 5ord hanceor chan$edC

7ho is the new head of udiciar" and the !resident of ourts of

6n$and and 7aesCII ead part II of the te@tA

7h" is the esta%ishment of the 0upreme ourt so importantC

7hat are the di<erent t"pes of &ud$es in 6n$ish and 7esh courtsand what is the criterion for their appointmentC

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The British Judiciar

– Reading comprehension

III ead part IIIA

7hat do &ud$es ha#e to a%stain fromC

7hat is the socia %ack$round of most 6n$ish

 &ud$esC

ID >iscuss a career in the &udiciar" in 6n$and and7aes and compare it with the one in roatiaA

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Judicial appointments after CRA2005

 Judicial Appointments Commission

 - appointments are made soe" on merit - the ommission is entire"responsi%e for assessin$ the merit

- no candidate can %e appointed uness recommended %" the ommission

- the ommission must consut with the 5ord hief ustice and another &ud$e ofeEui#aent e@perience %efore recommendin$ a candidate for appointment

-  The 5ord hanceor can a) con8rm a candidate, %) re&ect once or c) ask theommission to reconsider+ has imited powers in reation to recommendationfor appointment

-  The 5ord hanceor appro#es the 8na seection and then the candidate isforma" appointed %"

- a) the 5ord hanceor+ %) the Fueen (appoints the more senior &ud$es) 

0upreme ourt ud$es– seected %" the 0upreme ourt seectioncommission+ seection reported to the 5ord hanceor (he can re&ect or askthe commission to reconsider – if the person not the %est candidate on merit)

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"ssential terms

-  &udicia power G sud%ena #ast &udiciar" G sudst#o, suci

-  &udicia independence G sudaHkaneo#isnost

- to appoint G imeno#ati

-  to remo#e from o.ce Grari&eJiti dunosti

-  &udicia appointments Gimeno#an&a sudaca

- a term of o.ce G mandat

- to ha#e the securit" of tenure G

imati si$urno nam&eJten&e

- to %e drawn from the *ar G %itiimeno#an i redo#a #iJihod#&etnika (%arristera)

- the a%inet G Dada

- a ci#i ser#ant G dra#ni su%enik

- to hear a case G suditi

- to sit as a &ud$e G o%a#&ati dunostsuca

- to carr" out G pro#oditi

- to preside o#er G preds&eda#ati

- puisne &ud$es+ circuit &ud$es+recorders+

-  stipendiar" ma$istrates G suci niihkanenih sudo#a (ma$isteates;courts)

-  &ustices of the peace (!s) G miro#nisuci, suci aici niih kanenih sudo#a

- the *ar G od#&etniHki stae

- the *ench G sudaHki stae

- ina%iit" or mis%eha#iour Gnesposo%nost ii oJe #adan&e

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#oca$ular practice

I ompete the foowin$ de8nitionsALA  MMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMM are pu%ic administrati#e o.ciasin reat *ritainA

1A  MMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMM are &ud$es of the /i$h courtappointed amon$ %arristers of at east ten "ears; standin$A

9A  The chief ministers of the *ritish $o#ernment are referred toas MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM A

4A  MMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMM is the 8rst minister of 0tate inreat *ritain and the o.cia head of the a%inetA

BA  MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM is a mem%er of the e$a profession whose

main function is to ar$ue cases in courtA

:A  MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM is the o.cer whose dut" is to preside o#erthe de%ates of one of the /ouses of !ariamentA

?A  MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM is the head of the *ritish &udiciar"A

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#oca$ular practice – Court

personnel

II Complete the following text choosing from the words below.

 jury - judges – recorders - clerk – barristers – prosecutor – magistrates -bench

 The ar$est $roup of MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM are MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, ordinar"

citiens who are not e$a professionas %ut are appointed to ensure that the oca

communit" is in#o#ed in the runnin$ of the e$a s"stemA The" sit in a $roup of 

three (as a MMMMMMMMMMMMM;)A 'a$istrates sit with a e$a" Euai8ed

 MMMMMMMMMMMMMM , who can ad#ise on points of awA case is presented %" the

 MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM , who takes o#er the case from the poice who ha#e aread"

char$ed the defendant (or accused) with speci8ed crimesA

In the upper courts, the &ud$es are amost a former MMMMMMMMMMMMMM A *ut man"

cases are aso heard %" MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM - part-time %arristers from pri#ate

practiceA The rown ourt MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM consists of L1 persons, a$ed LO to ?2A