- 1 a person in a court who has the authority to decide how criminals should be punished or to make legal decisions a High Court judge a federal judge The case comes before Judge Cooper next week. The judge sentenced him to five years in prison. compare Justice of the Peace, magistrate Culturethe legal systemFor historical reasons, the system of law used in Scotland is different from that in England and Wales, with the law in Northern Ireland similar to that in England. When making decisions Scottish courts look for an appropriate general principle and apply it to a particular situation. English law relies on case law, a collection of previous decisions, called precedents. English courts look at precedents for the case being tried and make a similar judgement. A basic principle of law in Britain is that anyone accused is innocent until proven guilty, so it is the job of the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant (= the person accused) has broken the law as stated in the charge. If this cannot be proved the person must be acquitted (= allowed to go free, with no blame attached).British law is divided into civil law which concerns disagreements between individuals about matters such as business contracts, and criminal law which deals with offences that involve harm to a person resulting from somebody breaking the law. In civil cases, the plaintiff (= the person who claims to have been wronged) brings an action against the defendant in the hope of winning damages (= a financial payment) or an injunction (= a court order preventing the defendant from doing something). Criminal cases are brought against criminals by the state, in England and Wales by the Director of Public Prosecutions and in Scotland through procurators fiscal.In England and Wales most towns have a Magistrates' Court where minor cases are judged and more serious cases are passed to higher courts by three magistrates called Justices of the Peace, specially trained members of the public. The more serious cases are heard in a Crown Court by a judge and a jury. Minor civil cases, such as divorce and bankruptcy, are heard in the county courts and more serious ones in the High Court of Justice. Appeals against decisions from the Crown Court or the High Court go to the Court of Appeal and a few cases, where a question of law is in doubt, are passed to the Supreme Court, which has replaced the House of the Lords as the highest court in the country.In Scotland, criminal cases are heard in District Courts by members of the public called lay justices. More serious cases go to regional sheriff courts and are heard by the sheriff and a jury. Appeals go to the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh. Civil cases begin in the sheriff court and may go on appeal to the Court of Session.In the US, the judicial system is one of the three branches of the federal government, but the legal system operates at many levels with state, county and city courts as well as federal courts. The right to trial by jury is provided by the Constitution. Each type of court has its own jurisdiction, that is it deals with certain kinds of cases. Both civil and criminal cases are first heard in trial courts and there is a right to appeal against the court's decision in a court of appeals. Many states have family courts where people get divorced and small claims courts which deal with small amounts of money. States also have trial courts, which hear a wider range of cases, and courts of appeal called superior courts or district courts. Most states have a supreme court where the most serious appeals are held. States have their own criminal code, but some crimes are federal offences, i.e. against federal law, and crimes may fall under federal jurisdiction if more than one state is involved.Most courts have only one judge, but some higher courts have several. In the US Supreme Court, the nine judges are called justices. The people on either side of a case are represented by lawyers, also called attorneys-at-law. In a criminal trial the defendant is represented by a defense attorney, or if he or she is too poor to pay a lawyer, the court will appoint a public defender. The prosecution is led by an assistant district attorney or, in federal cases, by a federal attorney. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveexperienced, learned, senior, … verb + judgebe, sit as, appoint (somebody as), … judge + verboversee something, preside, sit, … See full entry See related entries: People in law, Professions in competition
- 2 a person who decides who has won a competition the panel of judges at the flower show The judges' decision is final. Wordfindercompetitionclosing date, competition, disqualify, judge, prize, round, runner-up, submit, tiebreaker, winner Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecompetition, independent … of judgespanel judge + verbchoose somebody/something, pick somebody/something, vote for somebody/something, … phrasesthe judges’ decision See full entry somebody who gives opinion
- 3 [usually singular] a person who has the necessary knowledge or skills to give their opinion about the value or quality of somebody/something She's a good judge of character. The last singer was the best—not that I'm any judge (= I do not know much about the subject). ‘I'm not sure that's a good way to do it.’ ‘Let me be the judge of that.’ Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveastute, good, great, … prepositionjudge of phrasesa good, bad etc. judge of character See full entry Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French juge (noun), juger (verb), from Latin judex, judic-, from jus ‘law’ + dicere ‘to say’.Extra examples A judge could impose a substantial penalty. Appeals court judges overturned the previous ruling. By next year you could be sitting as a High Court judge. He is a good judge of footballing talent. She has a reputation as a liberal, activist judge. She’s usually a pretty shrewd judge of character. The judge admitted the notes of the interview as evidence. The judge awarded him damages of £20 000. The judge called the remaining witness for the Crown. The judge held that the company had been negligent. The judge must direct the jury on points of law. The judge ordered the company to pay compensation to the claimant. The judge overseeing the case ordered the documents to be produced. The judge summed up and the jury retired to consider its verdict. The judges’ decision on the entries is final. The trial judge dismissed her compensation claim. They must persuade the judge that a particular juror is likely to be biased. Which judge will be sitting next week? You are the best judge of what your body needs. a panel of independent judges a shrewd judge of character ‘I’m not sure that’s a good way to do it.’ ‘Let me be the judge of that.’ The conviction was quashed by the three appeal judges. The judges’ decision is final. The last singer was the best—not that I’m any judge. The winner was chosen by a panel of judges.
in court
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