Definition of judge
Etymology
From Old French juge (“judge (noun)”), juger (“judge (verb)”), ultimately from Latin iūdicare (“pass judgement upon”), from iūdicem (“accusative of iūdex”), from iūdex (“judge”), from iūs (“law”) + dicus (“speaker”).
Pronunciation
- enPR: jŭj, IPA: /d'ʌd'/, SAMPA: /dZVdZ/
- Audio (US) [?]
- Rhymes: -ʌd'
Noun
judge (plural judges)
- A public official whose duty it is to administer the law, especially by presiding over trials and rendering judgments; a justice.
- A person who decides the fate of someone or something that has been called into question.
Synonyms
- (one who judges or dispenses judgement): deemer, deemster
- (official of the court): justice, sheriff
Verb
judge (third-person singular simple present judges, present participle judging, simple past and past participle judged)
- (transitive) To sit in judgment on; to pass sentence on.
A higher power will judge you after you are dead.
- (intransitive) To sit in judgment, to act as judge.
Justices in this country judge without appeal.
- (transitive) To form an opinion on.
I judge a man's character by the cut of his suit.
- (intransitive) To arbitrate; to pass opinion on something, especially to settle a dispute etc.
We cannot both be right: you must judge between us.
- (transitive) To have as an opinion; to consider, suppose.
I judge it safe to leave the house once again.
- (intransitive) To form an opinion; to infer.
I judge from the sky that it might rain later.
- (transitive, intransitive) To criticize or label another person or thing.
Further reading
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open court. The judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the parties of the case, assesses the credibility and arguments of the parties, and then issues a ruling on the matter at hand based on his or her interpretation of the law and his or her own personal judgment. In some jurisdictions, the judge's powers may be shared with a jury. In inquisitorial systems of criminal investigation, a judge might also be an examining magistrate.
Malaysia
In Malaysia, judges of the subordinate courts are addressed as "Tuan" or "Puan" (Sir or Madam), or Your Honour, while judges of the superior courts are addressed as "Yang Arif" (lit. "Learned One") or My Lord/Lady and Your Lordship/Ladyship if the proceedings, as they generally are in the superior courts, are in English.
England and Wales
In the Courts of England and Wales judges of the High Court and Court of Appeal are addressed (when sitting in those courts) as "My Lord" or "My Lady" and referred to as "Your Lordship" or "Your Ladyship".
When a judge of the High Court who is not present is being referred to they are described as "Mr./Mrs. Justice N." In writing, the post-nominal letter "J" is used to denote a Judge (male or female) of the High Court: for example, Smith J.
Judges of the Court of Appeal, also called Lords Justices of Appeal, are referred to as "Lord Justice N" or "Lady Justice N." In writing, Lords Justices of Appeal are afforded the post nominal letters "LJ:" for example, Smith LJ.
Circuit Judges and Recorders are addressed as "Your Honour." Circuit judges are referred to as "His/Her Honour Judge N." In writing, this title may be abbreviated as "HHJ" or "HH Judge," e.g. "HH Judge Smith." district judges and tribunal judges are addressed as "Sir/Madam".
Lay magistrates are sometimes still addressed as "Your Worship" in England, South Africa and Canada, mainly by solicitors, but this practice in other Commonwealth countries is nearly obsolete. Lay magistrates are also addressed as "Sir/Madam."
Masters of the High Court are addressed as "Master".
In the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, judges are called Justices of the Supreme Court. Those Justices of the Supreme Court who do not hold life peerages are now given the courtesy style "Lord" or "Lady." Justices of the Supreme Court are addressed as "My Lord/Lady" in court. In the law reports, the Justices of the Supreme Court are usually referred to as "Lord/Lady N, although the Weekly Law Reports appends the post-nominal letters "JSC" (e.g. "Lady Smith JSC"), and the President and Deputy President of the Court are afforded the post-nominal letters PSC and DPSC respectively.
References:
- Wiktionary. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
|
