View source for High Court judge (England and Wales)

{{Short description|Level of judge in England and Wales}}
[[File:Legal Service for Wales 2013 (144).JPG|thumb|Red-robed High Court judges in procession at [[Llandaff Cathedral]] in 2013]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{CourtsEnglandWales}}
A '''justice of the High Court''', commonly known as a '''High Court judge''', is a judge of the [[High Court of Justice of England and Wales]], and represents the third-highest [[Judiciary of England and Wales|level of judge]] in the [[courts of England and Wales]]. High Court judges are referred to as [[puisne justice]]s and wear red and black robes.<ref>[http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/about-the-judiciary/judges-magistrates-and-tribunal-judges/court-dress/examples#headingAnchor4 High Court Judge.] judiciary.gov.uk 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2012. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121030212804/http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/about-the-judiciary/judges-magistrates-and-tribunal-judges/court-dress/examples Archived here.]</ref>

High Court judges do not include the ''ex officio'' judges of the High Court, such as the heads of the divisions. High Court judges rank below [[Court of Appeal judge (England and Wales)|justices of appeal]], but above [[circuit judge (England and Wales)|circuit judges]].

==Title and form of address==
Upon appointment, male High Court judges are appointed [[Knight Bachelor|Knights Bachelor]] and female judges made [[Dame (title)|Dames]] [[Dame Commander|Commander]] of the [[Order of the British Empire]].<ref name=grays/>

In court, a High Court judge is [[Judge#England and Wales|addressed]] as ''My Lord'' or ''Your Lordship'' if male, or as ''My Lady'' or ''Your Ladyship'' if female.<ref name=judiciary>{{cite web |url=https://www.judiciary.uk/you-and-the-judiciary/what-do-i-call-judge/ |title=What do I call a judge? |website=Courts and Tribunals Judiciary}}</ref><ref name=grays>{{cite web |url=https://www.graysinn.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/education/How%20to%20address%20judges%20and%20others.pdf |title=How to address Judges and others |first=Robin |last=Jacob |author-link=Robin Jacob |website=Gray's Inn}}</ref> High Court judges use the title in office of ''Mr Justice'' for men or, normally, ''[[Mrs.#Modern usage|Mrs]] Justice'' for women, even if unmarried.<ref name=judiciary/> When Alison Russell was appointed in 2014, she took the title "Ms Justice Russell". The [[style (manner of address)|style]] of ''[[The Honourable]]'' (or ''The Hon'') is also used during office.<ref name=grays/> For example, {{pre-nominal styles|country=GBR|Sir}} Joseph Bloggs would be referred to as The Hon Mr Justice Bloggs {{postnominals|country=GBR|Kt}} and {{pre-nominal styles|country=GBR|Dame}} Jane Bloggs {{postnominals|country=GBR|DBE}} as The Hon Mrs Justice Bloggs {{postnominals|country=GBR|DBE}}. When there is already or has until recently been a judge with the same (or a confusingly similar) surname as a new appointee, the new judge will often use a first name as part of their official title. Many judges have done this, such as Mr Justice Christopher Clarke (Sir ''Christopher'' Simon Courtenay Stephenson Clarke) and Mr Justice Roderick Evans (Sir David ''Roderick'' Evans).

When referring to a High Court judge in a legal context, the judge is identified by use of the surname (or first name and surname if appropriate), followed by the letter 'J'. For example, Mr Justice Bloggs or Mrs Justice Bloggs would be referred to as "Bloggs J". When two or more judges are listed the letters 'JJ' are used; for example, "Bloggs, Smith and Jones JJ".

==Appointment==
Judges of the High Court were appointed in 1875 on the formation of the High Court of Justice. In 1877, they were formally renamed justices of the High Court. High Court judges are appointed by [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|the monarch]] on the advice of the [[lord chancellor]]. Under the [[Constitutional Reform Act 2005]], the [[Judicial Appointments Commission]] has removed the appointment of judges from the overtly political arena. High Court judges, like other judges, are appointed on open competition.

High Court judges, like all judges in England and Wales, hold office during good behaviour; this is laid down in the [[Act of Settlement 1701]]. This gives them greater security of tenure than if they held office during His or Her Majesty's pleasure, and is designed to protect their independence. A High Court judge can only be removed by the King upon an Address of both Houses of [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]].

Formerly, High Court judges could only be appointed from among [[barrister]]s of at least 10 years' standing.<ref name=SCA_10.3.c/> Before the qualifications changed, a typical appointee had in the region of twenty to thirty years' experience as a lawyer. Only four [[solicitor]]s had been appointed as puisne judges: [[Michael Sachs (judge)|Michael Sachs]] in 1993, [[Lawrence Collins, Baron Collins of Mapesbury|Lawrence Collins]] in 2000, [[Henry Hodge]] in 2004, and [[Gary Hickinbottom]] in 2008.<ref name="TheLawyerAppointed">{{cite web |last=Chellel |first=Kit |title=Former McKenna lawyer appointed to High Court |publisher=TheLawyer.com |date=19 September 2008 |url=http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=134693&d=415&h=417&f=416 |access-date=21 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920090650/http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=134693&d=415&h=417&f=416 |archive-date=20 September 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Collins was elevated further to the Court of Appeal in 2007 and became a [[law lord]] in 2009. Occasionally more junior members of the judiciary are elevated to that rank, such as Mr Justice Crane, who was formerly a Circuit Judge, and Mrs Justice Butler-Sloss (now [[Baroness Butler-Sloss]]) who was previously a [[registrar (law)|registrar]] in the Principal Registry of the Family Division of the High Court. A few distinguished academics have also made it onto the High Court bench, including Mrs Justice Hale (now [[Baroness Hale of Richmond]]) and, more recently, Mr Justice Beatson.<ref name="UoCAppointment">{{cite web |title=Law professor appointed to High Court |publisher=University of Cambridge |date=27 September 2002 |url=http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/news/dp/2002092702 |access-date=21 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606195609/http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/news/dp/2002092702 |archive-date=6 June 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2004, calls for increased [[diversity (politics)|diversity]] among the judiciary were recognised and the qualification period was changed<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/judiciary/diversitycp25-04.htm | publisher=Department for Constitutional Affairs | title=Increasing Diversity in the Judiciary | date=October 2004 | quote=CP 25/04 | access-date=5 March 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080901224351/http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/judiciary/diversitycp25-04.htm | archive-date=1 September 2008 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="explan2">{{cite web|access-date=5 March 2008 |url=http://www.england-legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2007/en/07en15-d.htm |title=Explanatory Notes to Tribunals, Courts And Enforcement Act 2007 |year=2007 |publisher=Office of Public Service Information |quote=paras. 281–316 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221000105/http://www.england-legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2007/en/07en15-d.htm |archive-date=21 February 2009}}</ref> so that, as of 21 July 2008, a potential High Court judge must satisfy the [[judicial-appointment eligibility condition]] on a seven-year basis.<ref name=SCA_10.3.c>{{cite web |title=Senior Courts Act 1981 s.10(3)(c) |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/54/section/10 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115223253/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/54/section/10/enacted |archivedate=15 January 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

While High Court judges all have the same jurisdiction, an appointee is allocated to one of the High Court's three divisions: the [[Chancery Division]], the [[King's Bench Division]] and the [[Family Division]]. Judges can be transferred from one division to another by the Lord Chancellor.

==Remuneration==
Their salary was initially fixed at £5,000 in 1875, which was only increased to £8,000 in 1954. A pension of £3,500 was first fixed in 1875.

{{asof|2019}}, [[puisne judge]]s of the High Court received a salary of £185,197 per year, the [[Chancellor of the High Court]] of £221,757 per year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/831874/judicial-salaries-revised-14-nov-2018.pdf |title=Ministry of Justice Judicial Salaries from 1 April 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of High Court Judges of England and Wales]]
*[[Judicial titles in England and Wales]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060517085636/http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/about_judiciary/roles_types_jurisdiction/judicial_profiles/salaried/high_court_judges.htm  Judiciary of England and Wales ]

{{Judiciary of England and Wales}}

[[Category:High Court of Justice|Judge]]
[[Category:High Court judges (England and Wales)| ]]