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

• January 13, 2026

  DEE -v- Secretary of State for Defence (anonymity order)

• January 13, 2026

  Sidhu -v- Bar Standards Board

• January 12, 2026

  CBK -v- Secretary of State for the Home Department and another (anonymity order)

• January 12, 2026

  SXL -v- Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (anonymity order)

Latest news

• January 12, 2026

  Master of the Rolls announces forthcoming retirement from the judiciary

  Read more about Sir Geoffrey Vos, the second most senior judge in England and Wales, and his long and distinguished career

• January 12, 2026

  President of the Family Division’s Non-molestation Orders guidance comes into effect

  Sir Andrew McFarlane encourages JOHs and legal advisors to read the guidance and the FJC guidance for practitioners

• January 8, 2026

  Death of Sir James Munby

  The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, pays tribute to his predecessor

• January 5, 2026

  Practice Guidance No 8 from the President of the First-tier Tribunal, Social Entitlement Chamber

  Please read this guidance from Judge Elizabeth McMahon about information without evidential value

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