Quarter Sessions

[Jeremy Wilkes]

Some confusion about circuit judges, I think. Yes, they do rank between puisne judges of the High Court and district judges, but they never went on circuit. The name was created when assizes were abolished. County court judges, full-time chairmen of quarter sessions, full-time recorders, the Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster and judges of several local courts that were abolished, such as the Bristol Tolzey court and the Liverpool Court of Passage, became circuit judges. Their part-time counterparts became recorders.

 

[peter]

What I wrote was drawn from a number of sources, including the Bar Council website. the Parliament website, and Rumpole of the Bailey, so I could well have joined up the dots incorrectly. It doesn't help that if you carry out a Google search for
"why are they called circuit judges?" the top result reads "The origins of the circuit system go back to the 12th century, when visiting judges would travel around the country each year on circuits to hear cases" (taken from the Bar Council website).

What were/are judges who went round the circuit actually called?

 

[Jeremy Wilkes]

Technically commissioners of assize, gaol delivery, oyer and terminer and perhaps other things from time to time. In the latter period they were generally puisne judges (justices of the High Court), perhaps with additional senior counsel who may have held lesser judicial appointments and were probably on their way to the High Court bench.

 

[peter]

So circuit judges are part of the circuit but don't circulate.