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

• December 5, 2025

  DKD -v- Secretary of State for the Home Department (anonymity order)

• December 5, 2025

  GDS and RFN -v- Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (anonymity order)

• December 5, 2025

  COH -v- London Borough of Lambeth (anonymity order)

• December 5, 2025

  DBC -v- Westminster City Council (anonymity order)

Latest news

• December 5, 2025

  The View from the Bench: speech by Mr Justice Fordham

  Read the speech given by the High Court Judge at the Hart 19th Annual Judicial Review Conference

• December 5, 2025

  German first lady Elke Büdenbender meets with Lady Chief Justice at Royal Courts of Justice

  During the first German state visit in 27 years, the German first lady (and former Berlin Administrative Court judge), visited the Royal Courts of Justice and met the Lady Chief Justice

• November 26, 2025

  Administrative Justice Council publishes final report on addressing disadvantage in tribunal and ombudsman system 

  The report explores the barriers faced by individuals who experience disadvantage in the administrative justice system

• November 21, 2025

  Lord Justice Dove

  Lord Justice Ian Dove was called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1986 and took Silk in 2003. He was appointed as a Fee-Paid Immigration Adjudicator (now a Fee-Paid Judge of the First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber)) in 2000, a Recorder in 2003 and authorised as a Deputy High Court Judge to hear cases […]

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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