How to address a Judge?

JuliusCaesar

Apart from "Judge", what's the correct form of address? I'm told it's NOT "Your Honour". My very helpful friends have come up with all sorts - Your Majesty, Your Eminence, Your ----. :rolleyes:

pwd

"judge"
your honour is american
(i sat on a jury and everyone called him judge)

xoxyx

Judgmeister.
Duuuuuddddde

(S)He'll love it!

blueythebear

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Apart from "Judge", what's the correct form of address? I'm told it's NOT "Your Honour". My very helpful friends have come up with all sorts - Your Majesty, Your Eminence, Your ----. :rolleyes:

Generally, use "judge". Some old school barristers use "M'Lord" but only equally old school judges appreciate that and some will even take offence to that! I believe "a breitheamh" is also acceptable

dermot_sheehan

Judge or "the court"

in times gone past Superior Court judges were called M'Lord.

In further times gone past the district court judges were called "your worship" (old term used to refer to magistates)

ronanc15

Over the last few times I've only really heard them called Judge.

NoQuarter

I heard the judge in the masters court (i think) being called M'lord by barristers and the police last year.

Shazanne

Be assured it's simply "Judge", although some still use the term Your Honour, but very rarely and not correctly. My work has me in the Courts on a very regular basis so this information is accurate.

xoxyx

Yes, on a more serious note, you call them Judge (and let them hear the capital "J"). Whilst barristers, solicitors, and sometimes guards get away with the occasional "your honour", conversely, Judges tend to find such an honorific offensive from a lay person - it's almost as though they think it too familiar.

Tom Young

I used to moot and the rules were 'My Lord' or 'M'lud' that used to be acceptable.

The Rules of the Superior Courts Order 119 states the following:

1. The Judges of the Superior Courts shall be addressed in Irish or English by their respective titles and names, and may be referred to, in Irish as "An Chúirt or, in English, as "The Court."

2. The Judges of the Superior Courts shall on all occasions, during the sittings, including sittings of the Central Criminal Court, wear the following costume, namely, a black coat and vest of uniform make and material of the kind worn by Senior Counsel, a black Irish poplin gown of uniform make and material, white bands, and a wig of the kind known as the small or bobbed wig.

3. Senior and Junior Counsel shall appear, when in court, habited in a dark colour, and in such robes and bands and with such wigs as have heretofore been worn by Senior and Junior Counsel respectively, and no Counsel shall be heard in any case during the sittings unless so habited.

As amended:

“1. (1) The Chief Justice and the President of the High Court shall be addressed, in Court, by their respective titles in Irish or English and other Judges of the Superior Courts shall be addressed, in Court, individually, in Irish, as “A Bhreithimh” or, in English, as “Judge”. Judges of the Superior Courts may be referred to, in Irish, as "An Chúirt" or, in English, as "The Court".

(2) This Rule does not affect the existing practice by which Judges of the Superior Courts shall be addressed or referred to, other than in Court, by their respective titles and names, in Irish or in English.

The answer is: Judge or the Court.

The Master is Master and sometimes depending on the strength of your case, you might be anxious to refer to him as something else, such as judge.

JuliusCaesar

Thank you. Last thing I want is to make a fool of myself....I was laughed at once and it's not happening again! I take it that the Superior Courts are any courts bar the District Courts? (Are Circuit Courts superior?)

pwd

Supreme court
High Court
Circuit Court
District Court

blueythebear

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Thank you. Last thing I want is to make a fool of myself....I was laughed at once and it's not happening again! I take it that the Superior Courts are any courts bar the District Courts? (Are Circuit Courts superior?)

High Court and Supreme Court are the Superior Courts.

King Stew : The Master of the High Court is addressed as "Master" so you probably weren;t in the Masters Court that day or somebody was in error on the day. Surprised he didn't pull them up on it as the Master is quite a character.

Judge

---

> Mode of Address

Chief Justice John Murray ---> Chief Justice

President of the High Court/Circuit/District Court

---

> President

Any other regular judge

---

> Judge, the Court, "M'Lord" (but only if you've been at the bar a while. New barristers are specifically told not to do so)

Registrars

---

> Registrar

Master of the High Court

---

> Master

SATSUMA

Hi OP,

I'm a trainee solicitor and it's certainly only "Judge". You probably wont even have to say it depending on the nature of your business. It would be more if a judge asked you a direct question requiring a yes or no answer really. It was only last week i saw a colleague get GRILLED before the court because she said "your honour" which is a mortal sin, but she should have known better!!!

If i can help you otherwise, feel free to PM me no prob.

JuliusCaesar

Well, I've been and survived. I ended up not calling him anything, though he asked me for clarification twice. But my explanation was quite long. Anyway, I won't be as terrified next time.

THanks all! Really appreciate it!

AlekSmart

Surprised he didn't pull them up on it as the Master is quite a character.

And a thorough Gentleman to boot !

evercloserunion

I think the accepted convention is to pick an unpleasant aspect of their appearance or personality and try to make a nickname out of that.

blueythebear

AlekSmart wrote: »

And a thorough Gentleman to boot !

Absolutely! A thorough gentleman. Please don't construe my calling the Master a "character" as having any negative connotations in any way, shape or form...

JuliusCaesar

I was told - to cope with nerves - don't try to imagine them naked or you'll get a fit of giggles. I thought the High Court would be a huge court room, lots of mahogony, jury, audience...it wasn't like that at all.

Surely there should be some way for novice witnesses to learn about how it's done? I went to the Four Courts as a tourist and had no idea that I could just walk into a courtroom as a member of the public. It would be have been really helpful. (I'm in a job where I have to write reports, but in 20 years, it's the first time I've been called.)