What do I call the judge? In courtIn court if you are speaking to a member of a court or tribunal, or if they ask you questions, you address them as ‘Your Honour’. The only exception is VCAT where you use ‘Sir/Madam’ for some positions. Turn over the page for details.

Outside courtWhat you call members of courts and tribunals outside court will depend on the occasion. If you are unsure, ‘Sir’, ‘Madam’ or ‘Judge’ are all acceptable.

Formal social occasionsOn formal social occasions a range of forms of address is used when speaking to members of courts and tribunals. For members of the Supreme Court of Victoria you use their position followed by their surname. For example, ‘Justice Brown’, compared to ‘Your Honour’ for a magistrate and ‘Judge’ for the State Coroner. More information on each court is listed in the table on the back.

Informal social occasionsOn informal occasions, it can be difficult to know what the etiquette is when speaking to members of courts or tribunals, so if you are unsure ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’ or ‘Judge’ are all acceptable. But ‘Judge’ is not generally used for magistrates and tribunal members. If you are in doubt you can always ask them.

This guide makes it easy to know what to call a judge, magistrate or member of a tribunal when you are speaking or writing to them. It is important to remember that what you call them depends on the court or tribunal they are appointed to. It also depends on whether you are in court, outside court, at a social occasion or writing to them.

In writingWhen you are writing to members of courts and tribunals you address them using a longer form that includes their position and surname. In some circumstances you also use their title, such as ‘The Honourable’ or ‘His/Her Honour’. Turn over for more information.

Envelopes and name tagsFor envelopes, and for name tags or similar things for events, full titles are used. You also include any honours the person holds after their surname.

Scroll down for details for all the courts and tribunals.

Beginning a letterWhen you are beginning a letter to a member of a court or tribunal, use their position followed by their surname. For example, for a judge of the Federal Court of Australia

you write ‘Dear Justice Shaw’. For a judge of the County Court you use ‘Dear Judge Capuano’. And for a VCAT member ‘Dear Member Nguyen’ is used.

If you are part of a legal team, a witness or a party you should avoid speaking to the judge, magistrate or tribunal member except in the courtroom or tribunal. You should also avoid writing to them.

What do I call a retired judge?Many retired judges keep a title based on the position they held on the court. When speaking to them, as a courtesy you can use the title ‘Judge’.

In writingWhen writing to retired judges, or making name tags for them, the titles you use depend on the court they sat on.

Federal judgesRetired judges of the High Court of Australia, Federal Court and Family Court of Australia keep the title ‘The Honourable’ for life. For envelopes and name tags you use ‘The Honourable Katharine Brooke’. To begin a letter, as a courtesy you use ‘Dear Justice Brooke’.

State judgesGenerally, retired judges of the Supreme Court keep ‘The Honourable’ as part of their formal title. So you use ‘The Honourable Savitri Drake’ on envelopes or similar stationery. To begin a letter, as a courtesy you use

‘Dear Justice Drake’.

When writing to retired judges of the County Court, you use ‘His Honour Michael Finch’. This can be used for envelopes and name tags. To begin a letter, as a courtesy you use ‘Dear Judge Finch’.

In court, use ‘Your Honour’In court, use ‘Your Honour’

If you are in a court or tribunal and called to address the judge or tribunal member, you should stand when you are spoken to or when speaking to them.

What do I call the judge?

Her Honour Judge Blake AO

State Coroner

Coroners Court of Victoria

Address

The Honourable Justice Matoulas

Supreme Court of Victoria

Address

What do I call the judge?

General

GrantsPublicationsEducation

Speaking and writing to judges in Victoria

Scroll down ...For a summary of

what to call a judge, magistrate or

tribunal member.

In court Outside court Beginning a letter Addressing an envelopeCourts and tribunals

Federal Circuit Court of AustraliaChief Judge

Judge

Your Honour Chief Judge Dear Chief Judge surname His/Her Honour Chief Judge surname

Your Honour Judge Dear Judge surname His/Her Honour Judge surname

High Court of AustraliaChief Justice

Justice

Your Honour Chief Justice Dear Chief Justice The Honourable Chief Justice surname

Your Honour Justice surname Dear Justice surname The Honourable Justice surname

Family Court of AustraliaChief Justice

Judge

Your Honour Chief Justice Dear Chief Justice The Honourable Chief Justice surname

Your Honour Justice surname Dear Justice surname The Honourable Justice surname

Chief Justice

Judge

Your Honour Chief Justice Dear Chief Justice The Honourable Chief Justice surname

Your Honour Judge Dear Justice surname The Honourable Justice surname

Federal Court of Australia

FE

DE

RA

L

What do I call the judge?

County Court of VictoriaChief Judge

Judge

Your Honour Chief Judge Dear Chief Judge His/Her Honour Chief Judge surname

Your Honour Judge surname Dear Judge surname His/Her Honour Judge surname

VCAT

President

Vice-President

Deputy President

Senior Member

Member

Your Honour Justice surname Dear Justice surname The Honourable Justice surname, President of VCAT

Your Honour Judge surname Dear Judge surname His/Her Honour Judge surname, Vice-President of VCAT

Sir or Madam Deputy President surname Dear Deputy President surname Deputy President surname

Sir or Madam Senior Member surname Dear Senior Member surname Senior Member surname

Sir or Madam Member surname Dear Member surname Member surname

Supreme Court of VictoriaChief Justice

President of the Court of Appeal

Judge

Associate Judge

Your Honour Chief Justice Dear Chief Justice The Honourable Chief Justice surname

Your Honour President surname Dear Justice surname The Honourable Justice surname, President of the Court of Appeal

Your Honour Justice surname Dear Justice surname The Honourable Justice surname

Your Honour Associate Justice surname Dear Associate Justice surname The Honourable Associate Justice surname

Children’s Court of Victoria

President Your Honour Judge Dear Judge surname His/Her Honour Judge surname, President of the Children’s Court of Victoria

Your Honour Your Honour Dear Magistrate surname His/Her Honour Magistrate surname

Coroners Court of Victoria

State Coroner

Deputy State Coroner

Coroner

Your Honour Your Honour Dear Deputy State Coroner Deputy State Coroner surname

Your Honour Your Honour Dear Coroner surname Coroner surname

Magistrates’ Court of VictoriaChief Magistrate

Magistrate

Your Honour Chief Magistrate Dear Chief Magistrate His/Her Honour Chief Magistrate surname

Your Honour Your Honour Dear Magistrate surname His/Her Honour Magistrate surname

ST

AT

E

Magistrate

Your Honour Judge Dear Judge surname His/Her Honour Judge surname, State Coroner

Victoria Law Foundation helps Victorians understand the law and their legal system. We are a not-for-profit organisation funded by the Legal Services Board Public Purpose Fund.

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See our website at www.victorialawfoundation.org.au

Accurate at November 2013

© Victoria Law Foundation, 2013 ISBN 978 1 876 04501 2 PUB11-16

This publication was developed in conjunction with the Federal Court of Australia, Family Court of Australia, Federal Circuit Court of Australia, Supreme Court of Victoria, County Court of Victoria, Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, Coroners Court of Victoria, VCAT, the Victorian Bar and David Thomson.

Robert Hyslop’s Dear You: A Guide to Forms of Address (AGPS Press, 1991) was a useful reference.

Pictured on the cover: The Honourable Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC, Supreme Court of Victoria. Photograph © Eddie Jim/Fairfax Syndication and courtesy of the Honourable Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC.

Inside photographs: courtesy of the Judicial College of Victoria and the Supreme Court of Victoria.

This publication is a guide only.