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

• July 17, 2026

  R -v- X, Y and Z (follow on judgment)

• July 17, 2026

  R -v- Kiran Kaur

• July 17, 2026

  Environment Agency -v- Southern Water

• July 17, 2026

  PHJ -v- UJV (injunction with anonymity and reporting restrictions orders)

Latest news

• July 17, 2026

  Response to recommendations for the judiciary in the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts

  Read the summary of the judicial response to Sir Brian Leveson’s recommendations regarding Criminal Courts

• July 14, 2026

  Message from Mr Justice Peel: Standard Orders – July 2026

  Read the message from the Judge in Charge of the Standard Orders, concerning updates in the family advocacy scheme

• July 10, 2026

  Royal Courts of Justice event showcases the work of the Judicial College  

  Guests from across the justice sector gathered at the Royal Courts of Justice to learn how the Judicial College designs and delivers training for more than 24,000 judicial office holders

• July 9, 2026

  Sir Colin Birss appointed Master of the Rolls

  His Majesty King Charles III has been pleased to approve the appointment of Sir Colin Birss as the Master of the Rolls

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