Judges' Council

This article is part of the series: Courts of England and Wales
Law of England and Wales
Administration Ministry of Justice Lord Chancellor His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service Judges' Council
Civil and family courts Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Privy Council Court of Appeal Master of the Rolls Court of Appeal judge High Court of Justice President of the King's Bench President of the Family Division Chancellor of the High Court High Court judge County Court List of County Court venues County Court Business Centre District judge Family Court Court of Protection Court of Chivalry
Criminal courts Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Court of Appeal Lord Chief Justice Court of Appeal judge High Court of Justice President of the King's Bench High Court judge Crown Court List of Crown Court venues Circuit judge Recorder Magistrates' courts District judge Justice of the peace / lay magistrates
Criminal prosecution Attorney General Director of Public Prosecutions Crown Prosecution Service
Legal profession Bar Council Barrister Law Society of England and Wales Solicitor Solicitor advocate
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The Judges' Council is a body in England and Wales that, representing the judiciary, advises the Lord Chief Justice on judicial matters. It has its historical roots in the original Council of the Judges of the Supreme Court, created by the Judicature Act 1873 to oversee the new Supreme Court of Judicature. This body initially met regularly, reforming the procedure used by the circuit courts, and the new High Court of Justice but met less regularly as time went on, meeting only twice between 1900 and 1907, with a gap of ten years between meetings in 1940 and 1950 respectively. After relative inactivity, it was eventually wound up through the Supreme Court Act 1981, which contained no provisions for its continued existence, something Denis Dobson attributes to newer bodies which performed the duties the Council had originally been created to do.

The Council was re-established in 1988 following suggestions by both academics and members of the judiciary, initially as an informal body composed of High Court and Court of Appeal judges with no constitutional basis, tasked with maintaining judicial independence and ensuring co-operation between the judiciary and the executive. Since 2002 it has established a written constitution and widened both its membership and remit, including non-High Court and Court of Appeal members and also investigating spending priorities within the court system, representing the judges on matters of pay and pensions and maintaining a Judicial Code of Conduct.