Who are the Judiciary?

• Independence
• Impartiality
• Integrity

The judiciary is made up of judges, magistrates, tribunal members, and coroners.

Together, they uphold the rule of law.

Judges and other members of the judiciary oversee cases, in different types of courts and tribunals and in different areas of law across the country.

Find out more

Latest judgments

• April 24, 2026

  R -v- John Ashby

• April 24, 2026

  Judith Allison Pearson -v- Chief Constable of Essex Police and another

• April 24, 2026

  MHR and others -v- City of York Council and others (anonymity order)

• April 24, 2026

  HLM -v- The London Borough of Haringey (anonymity order)

Latest news

• April 24, 2026

  Joint pre-application seminar: Fee-paid Specialist Members for Mental Health & Special Educational Needs and Disability, and First-tier Tribunal Health, Education and Social Care

  The seminar is for those interested in applying for either or both roles. It takes place online on Wednesday 13 May 2026, from 5pm to 6pm

• April 24, 2026

  Speech by the Chancellor of the High Court: Legal professional privilege in the Age of AI

  Sir Colin Birss was speaking at the City of London Law Society event

• April 14, 2026

  Rolls Building Practice Note – Summary Assessments (2026)

  The Practice Note supersedes the previous one and relates to the format for submitting costs information to the courts for summary assessment

• April 1, 2026

  A View from The President of the Family Division’s Chambers – April 2026

  Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division, gives the latest update on what has been happening across the jurisdiction

Find out more

Business and Property Courts

Specialist courts which decide business, commercial, property and other chancery disputes and technology and construction disputes, both domestic and international.

Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal deals exclusively with people challenging the decisions made by other courts or tribunals. It has two divisions, Criminal and Civil (the latter also hears family appeals).

High Court

The High Court hears the most serious administrative, civil and family cases. It has three divisions – King’s Bench, Family and Chancery.

Tribunals

The Tribunals are specialist judicial bodies whose judges and members hear a wide range of cases, such as tax, employment, and immigration and asylum. The Upper Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal hear appeals challenging some tribunal decisions.

See more courts and tribunals

Magistrates’ courts

Magistrates, or Justices of the Peace as they are also known, are trained, volunteer members of the local community who make decisions in criminal and family cases in Magistrates’ courts and the Family Court. The most complex cases in Magistrates’ courts are heard by District Judges who are legally qualified specialists.

Coroners’ courts

Coroners investigate certain deaths which are deemed to be unnatural, violent, or where the cause is unknown.

Popular links

Family Justice Council

Civil Justice Council

Appointments and retirements

Court of Appeal live hearings