Small Claims Court Dressing Code

edunon · 06-07-2014 6:25pm #1

Hi all,

I've searched in the forum and couldn't find any info.
I'm having my court hearing finally tomorrow after 6 months of my initial claim and I wonder, is there a dressing code applying or clean casual is ok?
How do you address the judge?

It's meant to be an informal procedure but not sure to what point..
Sorry for the stupid questions for most, but I have absolutely no idea!

Many thanks

Sunnyisland · 06-07-2014 6:29pm

For me I would wear a suit or nice smart casual clothes, look clean be clean and be pleasant,can't go wrong. Good luck OP .

edunon · 06-07-2014 6:55pm

Cheers realies! And just address the judge as judge I guess, hope not to feck it up!

Sunnyisland · 06-07-2014 7:00pm

edunon wrote: »

Cheers realies! And just address the judge as judge I guess, hope not to feck it up!

I think you say your honour, not sure about that part :-)

Mikros · 06-07-2014 7:03pm

realies wrote: »

I think you say your honour, not sure about that part :-)

You call them Judge (and let them hear the capital 'J'

)

conorh91 · 06-07-2014 7:08pm

smart casual
same rules of grooming as apply to job interviews
A judge is always addressed as "judge" (never "yer honor"), they can be referred to as "the Court".

Pat Mustard · 06-07-2014 9:44pm

If it is the District Court, 'Judge'.

If it is the Small Claims Court, there'll be a Registrar instead of a judge, who you can refer to by name (Mr. or Ms. X), I would think. They are unlikely to stand on ceremony in the Small Claims Court anyway.

Fred Swanson · 07-07-2014 12:00am

This post has been deleted.

magentis · 07-07-2014 12:04am

Oh for fcuk sake why not just dispense with the "judge" bit and do a magaluf girl on it instead?

hullaballoo · 07-07-2014 12:16am

magentis wrote: »

Oh for fcuk sake why not just dispense with the "judge" bit and do a magaluf girl on it instead?

Moderator: let's hope you have as much fun on your two-week holiday from this forum.

TimeToShine · 07-07-2014 12:23am

I actually lol'd, wtf was the point of that comment?!

Wear a suit OP. Take the jacket off inside if you think it's appropriate.

kennM · 07-07-2014 8:28pm

Most people have got it spot on.... was on jury duty there last year.

"Judge" is what you refer to the judge as, not "ma lord" or "your honor" or anything like that. You'll sometimes hear barristers say "If it pleases the court", when they say "the court" they mean the Judge also.

Gardai, Barristers etc. just answer the questions asked as short and concisely as possible, e.g. "yes Judge", "no Judge" etc.

Dress code - Show the Judge respect and dress suitably for the likes of an interview. You are trying to present your side of an issue and naturally the Judge needs to decide on the facts, credibility etc. Answer things truthfully and honestly, show respect both verbally and your presentation and that should help.

HeidiHeidi · 07-07-2014 8:34pm

If you were on a jury you were in the Circuit Court.

The SCC is quite a way "below" the Circuit Court in terms of level, and is intended to be less formal than the other courts precisely so that the average punter will not be intimidated (disclaimer, I've never actually been in a SCC but from what I've heard over the years this is the ethos I believe it strives for).

I wouldn't be turning up in a trackie and chewing gum, but as far as I know the SCC is intended to be an impartial forum, and not a Formal Courtroom. Clean dress and respectful address would be fine I would think.

edunon · 07-07-2014 8:37pm

Thank you all for your comments.

I went today and it went very well for me

A friend told me to wear a suit as fecking it all up just for that would be silly.
I had no idea everyone gets the appointment at the very same time, so there were 16 cases to be heard and mine was 14th. The registrar called the judge just judge and so did I, some called him your honour.
Some people were wearing really casual clothes so I don't think is an important thing unless you're looking total trash, or you're wearing a tracksuit like one fella did...

Pat Mustard · 07-07-2014 8:44pm

edunon wrote: »

or you're wearing a tracksuit like one fella did...

Lots of athletes down the courts all the same. :-)

Bepolite · 07-07-2014 9:25pm

OP is this a hearing of a disputed case (in front of the District Court Judge) or the informal stage in front of the registrar? It's always Judge in Ireland or Irish word, the spelling of which escapes me. You may still hear Your Lordship in the Superior courts - I suspect a District Court Judge may think you're taking the p**s or not as the case maybe.

On dress code - a man (or woman for that matter) should always have a good suit on hand, dry cleaned and properly pressed, a pressed shirt and a pair of smart shoes. They are worth ten times the cost and discomfort of wearing them. (That said I'm in suits 90% of the time I'm dressed (about 40% of the time :P) and the only thing I find more comfortable is my Hugh Heffner get-up.)

hullaballoo · 08-07-2014 12:57pm

"Your honor" not "your honour". It's an American thang so it needs the American spelling.

It is totally incorrect to use that phrase in an Irish Court and it jars the ears of anyone who is accustomed to being in court.

We've been referring to judges as "judge" for in excess of ten years now and for me, it's inexcusable to use anything else. Yes, some people still use the archaic forms of address, such as "my lord" but no one born post-1900 should consider using that phrase, imo. They don't even use that in England any more.

Use of "the court" can be helpful in circumstances where you want to refer directly to the particular judge you're addressing but do not want to say "you", which might be inappropriate.

Bepolite · 08-07-2014 2:07pm

All of this said OP, I forgot to mention, you're a lay-litigant. Yes some DC Judges are lunatics most will fall over themselves to accommodate a respectful lay-litigant.

Good luck with your small claim, a very underutilised service if you ask me.

conorh91 · 08-07-2014 3:28pm

I think the "your honor" confusion might stem from the fact that some categories of judges are referred to under like terms, for example, judges of the Circuit Court.

Lots of lay people will hear high profile references to "Her Honour Judge Mary-Ellen Ring" in the news, and assume the address works accordingly.

08-07-2014 4:48pm

hullaballoo wrote: »

Yes, some people still use the archaic forms of address, such as "my lord" but no one born post-1900 should consider using that phrase, imo. They don't even use that in England any more.

For HC, CoA and SC "My Lord" or "My Lady" is still the correct form of address.

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/you-and-the-judiciary/what-do-i-call-judge/

kennM · 08-07-2014 5:09pm

234 wrote: »

For HC, CoA and SC "My Lord" or "My Lady" is still the correct form of address.

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/you-and-the-judiciary/what-do-i-call-judge/

judiciary.co.uk ..... there's your problem. Doesn't apply to Irish courts.

HeidiHeidi · 08-07-2014 5:14pm

kennM wrote: »

judiciary.co.uk ..... there's your problem. Doesn't apply to Irish courts.

Even if it doesn't, and even if these things are correct somewhere, this thread is/was about the Small Claims Court! Which as far as I know is specifically intended to be an informal resolution forum with no intimidatory forms of address expected from anyone! Citing forms of address from the Criminal Court of Appeal or the High Court is a bit O/T

hullaballoo · 08-07-2014 5:28pm

234 wrote: »

For HC, CoA and SC "My Lord" or "My Lady" is still the correct form of address.

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/you-and-the-judiciary/what-do-i-call-judge/

I've been wrong before and I'm sure I'll do it again!

Grolschevik · 08-07-2014 5:38pm

kennM wrote: »

judiciary.co.uk ..... there's your problem. Doesn't apply to Irish courts.

That post was in response to one that said those forms of address are no longer used even in England.

Pat Mustard · 08-07-2014 5:58pm

District Court Rules:

A Judge shall be addressed in court as "A Bhreithimh" or as "Judge".

The Circuit Court Rules:

“2. (1) The President of the Circuit Court shall be addressed, in Court, by his title in Irish or English and other Judges of the Court shall be addressed, in Court, individually, in Irish, as “A Bhreithimh” or, in English, as “Judge”. Judges of the Court may be referred to, in Irish, as "An Chúirt" or, in English, as "The Court". .

The Rules of the Superior Court:

“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".

It seems to me that the previous practice of addressing a Circuit Judge or Higher as 'my Lord' was an inherited tradition, without a good basis in law.

Small Claims Court Dressing Code

Comments