Court of Appeal Judges in the UK
The Court of Appeal


The Court of Appeal is one of the three higher appellate courts in England and Wales. It hears cases from the Magistrates’ Courts and deals with more complex or important cases. The court has two separate divisions, known as the Civil Division and the Criminal Division. The Civil Division is made up of a single Judge and hears appeals on points of law relating to civil matters, such as contracts, property rights, trusts and business law. Cases are heard by a panel of at least three judges who sit together to make sure there is not bias or partiality among any individual judge. The Criminal Division comprises three retired High Court Judges who hear appeals on points of law related to criminal matters. These include murder, rape and other serious offences for which a jury trial is not available in a magistrates court under section 437 of the Criminal Procedure Code Act 1949 (as amended). Justice of Appeal: A justice of appeal sits as an additional judge in the Court of Appeal at any time that it is required to sit because one or more justices or judges are unavailable or unable to continue sitting.



How Many Judges Are in the Court of Appeal?

The Court of Appeal has eight justices of appeal. That’s eight judges who sit together to decide whether someone has been wrongly convicted or whether the laws on a certain matter need to change. The justices of appeal all sit as part-time judges, taking on the role of a High Court Judge for about 40 days every year. The justices of appeal are as follows: - The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales acts as the presiding justice of appeal. - The Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland acts as the deputy presiding justice of appeal. - The Master of the Court of Appeal is the judge who decides the cases and rules on how the Court should be run. The Master also acts as Secretary of the Court of Appeal. - The First and Second Senior Judge are the two other justices who sit with the Lord Master to decide cases. - The Third and Fourth Senior Judges are the other two justices who sit with the Lord Master to decide cases.


How Is the Court of Appeal Started?

All appeals in the UK start with the person being charged in a criminal matter. The case will end up at the Crown Prosecution Service, who will decide whether they have enough evidence to proceed with a trial. If so, the CPS will pass the case on to the police who will charge the defendant with an offence. Once a case reaches the police, it will be investigated and the officer who initially took the report will decide if there is enough evidence for the defendant to be charged with an offence. The most serious offences, such as murder, rape and armed robbery, are tried by a jury of 12 people in a magistrates’ court. The defendant will be charged with being part of the alleged crime and will be put on trial by the prosecution. The case will be heard by a jury of 12 people who will decide if the defendant is guilty or not. If guilty, the defendant will receive a custodial sentence, such as a prison sentence or a fine, or will be given an alternative punishment, such as community service. If the defendant is not guilty, the case will be dropped and the defendant will be released. It is at this point that the defendant may choose to go to court and seek a ‘right to appeal.’ The right to appeal is usually given if the defendant believes that the police, CPS or magistrate made an error in their decision. The right to appeal will usually be granted in the magistrates’ court and the Court of Appeal. The right to appeal is usually granted on a point of law. The appeal will be heard by a judge sitting with a panel of at least three judges, who will listen to all the evidence and then rule on whether the police, CPS or magistrates made an error in their decision. If a judge thinks there was an error, the case is normally sent back to the lower court to be heard again. If the appeal is successful, it will usually be sent up directly to the Court of Appeal.


What Is a Justic of Appeal?

The justices of appeal are the highest judges in the country. They sit as part of the Court of Appeal and hear appeals on points of law relating to criminal matters. These cases include murder, rape and other serious offences for which a jury trial is not available in a magistrates’ court under section 437 of the Criminal Procedure Code Act 1949 (as amended). The judges also decide whether someone has been wrongly convicted or in a case where the laws on a certain matter need to change. If a case is heard by a panel of three justices of appeal, the decision is made by a majority vote. If a case is heard by a panel of five justices of appeal, then two members of the panel will decide the case and the other three will decide what law to apply.


Other Important Things to Know about the Court of Appeal

- The Court of Appeal is the highest court in the UK that can hear appeals from lower courts. - Cases can be appealed in the Court of Appeal only if they concern points of law. - It costs £1,200 to get the right to appeal. - The judges who sit on the Court of Appeal are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister, who has the power to dismiss them. - At any time that it is required to sit, the Court of Appeal is made up of eight justices of appeal. - The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales acts as the presiding justice of appeal. - The Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland acts as the deputy presiding justice of appeal. - The Master of the Court of Appeal is the judge who decides the cases and rules on how the Court should be run. The Master also acts as Secretary of the Court of Appeal. - All appeals in the UK start with the person being charged in a criminal matter. - The right to appeal is usually granted in the magistrates’ court and the Court of Appeal. - The most common cases heard by the Court of Appeal deal with points of law. - The Court of Appeal can hear cases from the Magistrates’ Courts. - Cases are heard by a panel of at least three judges who sit together to make sure there is not bias or partiality among any individual judge.


Benefits and Disadvantages of Becoming an Appellate Judge

Appeal judges have a wide variety of cases to decide, some with an emotional or political element attached. Appeals can be complex, requiring detailed research and careful analysis of the facts of the case. An appeal judge can also decide to hear a case himself or herself, sitting alone to determine the facts. The best way to decide if becoming an appeal judge is right for you is to speak to a career advisor at your local university, college or polytechnic. They can help you decide whether becoming an appeal judge is something you would enjoy doing.


Who Can be Appointed to the Court of Appeal?

There are no strict criteria for becoming an appeal judge. All judges must meet certain criteria and be appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister, who has the power to dismiss them. Appointment to the Court of Appeal is for life and salaries range from £121,929.63 to £166,000.