Puisne judge
Puisne judge and puisne justice (/ˈpjuːni/) are terms for an ordinary judge or a judge of lesser rank of a particular court. The term comes from a combination of the two French words, puis, "since, later" + né, and "born", which have been combined as French: puisné or puîné; meaning "junior".[1][2][3]
Use
The term is used almost exclusively in
Use is rare outside of, usually internal, court (judicial) procedural decisions as to which judge(s) will sit or has sat in hearings or appeals. The term is dated in detailed, academic case law analyses and, to varying degree direct applicability in higher courts.[4][failed verification][citation needed]
The term excludes the court's chief judge(s)/justice(s); any seniormost judges, often specialists or a managerial head, sitting
By jurisdiction
Bermuda
In Bermuda, the Supreme Court comprises the Chief Justice and a number of puisne judges.[5] As of January 2020, there are three puisne judges, with a vacancy for a fourth.[6] New puisne judges are appointed by the Governor following a consultation with the Chief Justice.[7]
Canada
In Canada judges other than the chief justice of a court are referred to as puisne judges.[8][9]
Fiji
Gibraltar
In Gibraltar, puisne judges, of which there must be at least one, are responsible for family law proceedings in the Supreme Court.[10]
Jamaica
In
Mauritius
In Mauritius, the Supreme Court comprises the Chief Justice, the Senior Puisne Judge, and 20 other puisne judges.[12]
United Kingdom
England and Wales
In England and Wales, judges of the High Court are referred to as puisne judges, unless the judge in question holds a specific title, such as Lord Chief Justice.[13][14] Puisne judges must have at least seven years' experience as a barrister, or at least two years' experience as a circuit judge.[15] The maximum number of puisne judges permitted in England and Wales at any one time is the full-time equivalent of 108.[16]
Puisne judges are styled as The Honourable Mr/Mrs/Ms Justice [surname].[13]
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, judges of the High Court are referred to as puisne judges, with the exception of the Lord Chief Justice.[17] The maximum number of puisne judges permitted in Northern Ireland at any one time is 15.[18]
Puisne judges are styled as The Honourable Mr/Mrs/Madam Justice [surname].[19]
See also
References
- ^ "puisne". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins.
- ^ "Puisne". Lexico Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
- ^ Online Etymology Dictionary: "puisne (adj.)".
- ^ a b "Rules of the Supreme Court of Western Australia 1971". Australian Legal Information Institute. Archived from the original on 2018-01-07. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
- ^ Bermuda Constitution Order 1968, section 73(2)
- ^ "The Bermuda Judiciary Annual Report 2019" (PDF). Supreme Court. Government of Bermuda. 14 February 2020. p. 62. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ Bermuda Constitution Order 1968, section 73(4)
- ^ "Judges Act". Department of Justice, Canada. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
- ^ "Canada's Supreme Court: Meet the judges". CBC News. 2016-10-17. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
- ^ Supreme Court Act, section 12A(1)
- ^ Judicature (Supreme Court) Act, section 5(1)
- ^ "Supreme Court". supremecourt.govmu.org. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ OCLC 1108710547.
- ^ "High Court judges". www.judiciary.uk. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
- OCLC 1043882876.
- ^ Senior Courts Act 1981, section 4(1)(e) (as amended)
- ^ Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978, section 2(1)
- ^ The Maximum Number of Judges Order (Northern Ireland) 2020, article 2
- ^ "Judiciary of Northern Ireland". Judiciary NI. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
External links
- Puisne Judge's Office (archived 19 April 2015)
- Puisne judges of the Bombay High Court (archived 12 December 2010)