Social media stories from the Judicial Office
2023 stories
December:
His Majesty King Charles III visits the Royal Courts of Justice – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Read about HM King Charles lll’s historic visit to the Royal Courts of Justice
Hope at Christmas – HHJ Andrew Menary KC – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: HHJ Andrew Menary talks about what Christmas means to him
In conversation with Tribunal Member Dr Tom Wells MBE – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Dr Tom Wells MBE shares his reflections and experiences as a paraplegic oncologist and tribunal member
November:
Lauren’s experience of being a young magistrate – Magistrates Recruitment (judiciary.uk): Magistrate Laurentalks about her experience of being a young person sitting in the adult criminal court and the importance of having a diverse bench.
Diwali celebrations from magistrates – Magistrates Recruitment (judiciary.uk): We spoke to some magistrates to find out how they will celebrate the festival of lights.
October:
The importance of representation in the magistracy – Magistrates Recruitment (judiciary.uk): We spoke to Pauline a black woman who became a magistrate as she believed there needed to be better representation of ethnic minorities on the bench.
August:
South Asian Heritage Month 2023: HHJ Usha Karu shares her story – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: We spoke to HHJ Usha Karu about her background and journey into law.
June:
Judge Bibi reflects on Eid ul-Adha – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Judge Bibi reflects on Eid ul-Adha, the second major Islamic festival after Eid ul-Fitr.
Judge visits school for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: A judge met pupils and watched them put Goldilocks on trial when she visited a school as part of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month.
Interview with District Judge Rachel Watkin – Refugee Week (UK, 19-25 June 2023) – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: To recognise Refugee Week, we interviewed District Judge Rachel Watkin, who founded charity ‘Refugee Kindness’.
Dame Sue Carr has been appointed the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 1 October 2023 – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: His Majesty The King has been pleased to approve the appointment of Dame Sue Carr as the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 1 October 2023.
National Volunteers’ Week: Interview with Alexia, Regional Leadership Magistrate for London – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Alexia talks about the most rewarding aspects of the role, describes a typical day, and encourages others to apply
National Volunteers’ Week: Lord Chief Justice thanks magistrates for their voluntary work – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: National Volunteers’ Week is an annual celebration of the contribution made by millions of people across the UK through volunteering.
Public Lecture at The School of Law, Economics and Governance, University of Malawi by the Lord Chief Justice – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, visited Kenya, Zambia and Malawi, to meet judges and discuss the rule of law.
May:
Swearing-in of the Lord Chancellor – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Rt Hon Alex Chalk KC MP has been officially sworn in as Lord Chancellor.
HHJ Campbell visits Modern Art Oxford to discuss the role of judges – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: HHJ Sarah Campbell visited the exhibition to meet a group of students and talk about her career.
The Abbey School, Reading hosts ‘100 Years of Women at the Bar’ – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: The Abbey School in Reading hosted the landmark pop-up exhibition ‘100 Years of Women at the Bar.’
April:
Community, fairness and being a magistrate – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Interview with South London based magistrate Jingi.
Celebrating Eid: District Judge Raffia Arshad shares her experience – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: District Judge Raffia Arshad talks about what the Islamic festival of Eid means to her.
‘A Day in the Life’ YouTube playlist: A Day In The Life – YouTube
Vaisakhi: HHJ Jinder Singh Boora shares his experience – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: We spoke to HHJ Jinder Singh Boora about the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi and what it means to him.
YouTube: Family Court magistrates talk about their role:
Tips for talking to your employer about becoming a magistrate – Magistrates Recruitment % (judiciary.uk): The latest magistrates’ blog outlines three top tips to guide you through talking to your employer about becoming a magistrate.
Reflections on Easter: HHJs Alan Blake and Geoffrey Payne share their experiences – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: We spoke to HHJ Alan Blake and HHJ Geoffrey Payne about the significance of the Easter festival and what this holy period means to them.
Reflections on Passover: Wales Leadership Magistrate, Lisa, shares her experience – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: We spoke to Wales Leadership Magistrate, Lisa, about her experience of observing Passover and what the festival means to her.
Sheffield Hallam University students spend a day in court with HHJ Tariq Sadiq – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Undergraduate law students from Sheffield Hallam University visited Sheffield Combined Court, where they spent the day with Diversity and Community Relations Judge, HHJ Tariq Sadiq.
March:
A Day In The Life – YouTube: access our ‘Day in the Life’ YouTube playlist.
Mrs Justice McGowan and Lady Justice Carr discuss the Rule of Law – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Watch this video from our MOOC, which shows Mrs Justice McGowan and Lady Justice Carr in conversation about the rule of law and how it is relevant to the society we live in.
New free exhibition highlighting women judges launches tomorrow – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Read about a video artwork exhibition launching at Modern Art Oxford which highlights the role of women judges.
Lord Chief Justice visits Maldon as part of the Schools Engagement Programme – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Lord Burnett of Maldon, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, visited Plume Academy in Maldon to meet students and talk to them about the work of judges, the justice system and the rule of law
Reflections on Ramadan: DJMC Hina Rai shares her experience – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Read DJMC Hina Rai’s account of the Islamic festival of Ramadan.
Students from the University of Salford and Manchester Metropolitan University visit Manchester’s Civil Justice Centre – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Students from the University of Salford and Manchester Metropolitan University visited the Civil Justice Centre (CJC) in Manchester, hosted by judges and other special guests.
Why I volunteer in the family court – Magistrates Recruitment % (judiciary.uk): Read this written interview, where family magistrate Sam shares his motivations for volunteering in the family court.
International Women’s Day 2022: In conversation with Mrs Justice Ayesha A. Malik – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Written interview with Mrs Justice Ayesha A. Malik, noted to be the first woman to be sworn into the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
International Women’s Day 2023: Interview with the Honourable Justice Martha Koome, EGH (Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart), Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: For International Women’s Day 2023, we interviewed the Honourable Justice Martha Koome, Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya.
Judges host Manchester schools week with National Justice Museum – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: As part of the judiciary’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy, judges teamed up with the National Justice Museum to arrange a special events week for eight primary and secondary schools in Manchester.
Judge Profiles – Interview with District Judge Neeta Minhas – YouTube: Video interview with DJ Neeta Minhas, who sits in Westminster magistrates’ court.
Introduction to the Rule of Law – Online Course – FutureLearn: Sign up to our Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the rule of law.
February:
LGBT+ History Month: Interview with Tom Quarton-Manuel, JP – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Written interview with magistrate Tom for LGBT+ History Month.
Why I volunteer in the family court – Magistrates Recruitment % (judiciary.uk): We spoke to magistrate Sam about his motivation for volunteering in the family court.
A Day In The Life – YouTube: See our full ‘Day in the Life’ YouTube playlist.
January:
Members of the Traveller community visit the Old Bailey – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Read about the event organised by HHJ Spiro and HHJ Angela Rafferty KC.
Lord Chief Justice visits college in Swansea as part of the Schools Engagement Programme – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: The Lord Chief Justice visited Gower College in Swansea to give students the chance to hear about the work of judges, the justice system and the rule of law.
2022 stories
December:
Disability History Month and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities – A Personal Perspective – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Communications Lead for the Judicial Diversity Committee, District Tribunal Judge David Chrimes, reflects on his own experiences.
Pupils hear about what it means to be a Judge – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales visited The One Sixth Form College in Ipswich earlier this week to give the pupils a chance to hear about the work of judges, the justice system and the rule of law.
In conversation with District Tribunal Judge Noel Arnold – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Find out about Tribunal Judge Noel Arnold’s journey into the judiciary.
November:
The reward of being a magistrate – Magistrates Recruitment (judiciary.uk): Read more about Aruj’s journey into becoming a magistrate and what she found to be the most rewarding aspects of the role.
Ask a magistrate: Balancing employment with duties – Magistrates Recruitment (judiciary.uk): We spoke with magistrates across the country to learn how they balance working life with their magistrate responsibilities.
October:
Judges visit CTK Emmanuel Sixth Form to discuss Black History Month – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Her Honour Judge Barbara Mensah, His Honour Judge Kwame Inyundo, Employment Judge Adenike Balogun and Employment Judge Andrew Zimuto recently visited Christ the King Sixth Forms in Lewisham to speak to students about Black History Month.
Diwali reflections from the judiciary – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Her Honour Judge Anuja Dhir KC and His Honour Judge Jinder Singh Boora share their thoughts and experiences of Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists.
July:
His Honour Judge Jinder Singh Boora talks about his work with The Princes’ Trust Work Mentoring Programme at Saltley Academy – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: His Honour Judge Jinder Singh Boora writes about the work he does as a mentor at Saltley Academy on behalf of The Princes’ Trust Mentoring Programme.
May:
Valedictory: Lord Justice Fulford – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Many members of the judiciary and legal profession, along with friends and family, gathered in the Royal Courts of Justice on 3 October 2022 to celebrate the career of Lord Justice Fulford in a number of valedictory speeches.
April:
The Rt. Hon. Sir Keith Lindblom: From pupillage to Senior President of Tribunals – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: His Honour Judge Mark Anthony Horton visited Bristol Academy where he delivered his Judicial Awareness Course.
Interview with Chancery Master Iain Pester – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Following the opening of the Judicial Appointments Commission competition for Chancery Master, our most recent interview with Chancery Master Iain Pester explores what he enjoys about the role, the challenges and his advice for anyone considering judicial appointment.
March:
International Women’s Day 2022: In conversation with Mrs Justice Ayesha A. Malik – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: For International Women’s Day we had the privilege of speaking with Mrs Justice Ayesha A. Malik, noted to be the first woman to be sworn into the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The Lord Chief Justice visits Barnsley Academy as part of the Schools Engagement Programme – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett of Maldon, visited Barnsley Academy where he delivered a talk to students as part of the Schools Engagement Programme.
Neurodiversity Celebration Week: HHJ Dhir shares her experiences with dyslexia – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Last year we spoke with Her Honour Judge Anuja Dhir, a circuit judge who sits at the Old Bailey, about dyslexia.
His Honour Judge Mark Anthony Horton visits Bristol Academy to deliver his Judicial Awareness Course – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: His Honour Judge Mark Anthony Horton visited Bristol Academy where he delivered his Judicial Awareness Course.
University of Manchester’s Magistrates Initiative – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: The University of Manchester (UoM) launched its first inaugural young magistrate’s initiative on 8 March 2022, aimed at students who were first generation in their families to attend university.
February:
Speech by the Lord Chief Justice: Blackstone Lecture 2022 – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales has delivered the Blackstone Lecture 2022 at Pembroke College in Oxford.
Judges team up for university careers outreach event – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Three judges have joined forces to take part in a careers outreach event at the University of Winchester.
Community, fairness and being a magistrate – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Read our recent interview with magistrate Jingi.
2021 stories
December:
Family Justice Council – 14th Annual Debate – ‘Should the age of majority be reduced to 16?’ Full live stream and video clips – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: The Family Justice Council held its 14th Annual Debate and panel discussion in London which was live streamed via Microsoft Teams to audiences at home – a first for the event.
Magistrate Khadija talks about her role as a magistrate – YouTube and Family Court magistrates talk about the role – YouTube: The Judicial Office, MoJ and HMCTS have launched a national magistrate recruitment campaign.
November:
Bradford’s newest judge speaks to the Telegraph & Argus about his career journey | Bradford Telegraph and Argus (thetelegraphandargus.co.uk): This week, Bradford based judge, His Honour Judge Ahmed, was featured in The Telegraph.
A conversation with Tribunal Judge Samina Majid – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Read our interview with Tribunal Judge Samina Majid, where she talks about the rule of law, volunteering as a mentor to support judges from minority backgrounds, and the rewards and challenges of being a judge.
September:
Swearing in of the new Lord Chancellor, the Attorney General and new Solicitor General – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: The Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP has been officially sworn in as Lord Chancellor. The Attorney General and the new Solicitor General were also sworn in at the same ceremony.
NDSN Talking Head: Tan Ikram – YouTube: District Judge (MC) Tan Ikram recently spoke to the National Diverse Student Network for their ‘Talking Heads’ series.
The role of a family magistrate – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Magistrate Sam, based in Bedfordshire, talks to us about his role as a family magistrate.
BBC interview – Afghan women judges – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: On Monday 4 October 2021 Mrs Justice McGowan spoke to Naga Munchetty about the position women judges in Afghanistan are currently in.
August:
Judges make history as first all-female Court of Appeal sits in Wales – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: History has been made after three female judges – Lady Justice Nicola Davies, Mrs Justice Jefford and Mrs Justice Steyn – sat as part of the Court of Appeal in Wales.
July:
BBC Radio 4 – Four Thought, When We Were Young: Listen to Luke Rigg, chair of young magistrates group, share stories from the magistrates bench to Olly Mann at BBC Radio Four.
A conversation with His Honour Judge Jinder Singh Boora – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: In his interview Judge Boora spoke to us about his first interests in the law, his work as a District and Community Relations Judge and Judicial Mentor, and more.
June:
Celebrating Pride Month – a diverse magistracy – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Dan tells us why he became a magistrate and talks about his interest in law and eagerness to represent the LGBT+ community.
May:
Interview with Tribunal Judge Thaira Bibi – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Her Honour Judge Thaira Bibi, the first hijab wearing Salaried Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, talks about how she reaches decisions, diversity in the judiciary, what advice she would give to anyone considering the role and more.
A conversation with Recorder Mary Prior QC – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Recorder Mary Prior QC, a part time judge who also works as a barrister, tells us about her role sitting in criminal and family cases on the Northern Circuit.
Lord Chief Justice gives evidence to Parliament’s Constitution Committee – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: The Lord Chief Justice talked about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the courts, modernisation of the courts service, legal aid funding and more.
April
How I fulfilled my passion for helping families by volunteering to become a magistrate – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Amy, a magistrate working in the Family Court, spoke to us about why taking on the role helped her fulfil her passion for helping families.
In conversation with Lady Justice Nicola Davies and Tribunal Judge Safia Iman – YouTube: ‘Day in the Life’ YouTube playlist