The Role of the Courts

The UK court system, the role of judges, criminal and civil courts, youth courts, and how people can get legal advice.

The Judiciary

Judges, known together as “the judiciary”, are responsible for interpreting the law and making sure that trials are fair.
The government cannot interfere with their decisions.

If the government’s actions are illegal, judges can make the government change its policies or ask Parliament to change the law.
If a public body does not respect someone’s legal rights, judges can order it to change its behaviour or pay compensation.

Judges also settle disputes between people or organisations, such as issues about contracts, property, employment rights, or accidents.

Criminal Courts

The court systems in England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are slightly different.

Magistrates’ and Justice of the Peace Courts

  • In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, most minor criminal cases are handled in a Magistrates’ Court.
  • In Scotland, these cases go to a Justice of the Peace Court.

Magistrates and Justices of the Peace (JPs) are local people, usually unpaid and without legal qualifications.
They get training and help from a legal adviser.
Magistrates decide verdicts and sentences.

In Northern Ireland, cases are heard by a District Judge or Deputy District Judge, who is paid and legally qualified.

Crown Courts and Sheriff Courts

  • In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, serious crimes are tried in a Crown Court before a judge and jury.
  • In Scotland, these cases go to a Sheriff Court (with or without a jury).
  • The most serious crimes, such as murder, are heard in the High Court with a judge and jury.

A jury is made up of members of the public chosen from the local electoral register:

  • 12 members in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
  • 15 members in Scotland

Everyone called for jury service must attend unless ineligible (e.g., due to a criminal record) or excused (e.g., ill health).

The jury listens to the evidence and decides if the accused is:

  • Guilty
  • Not guilty
  • Or, in Scotland, Not proven

If the person is found guilty, the judge decides the sentence.

The Old Bailey

One of the most famous criminal courts in the world, located in London.
The Old Bailey, London
Source: Wikipedia

Youth Courts

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, cases involving people aged 10 to 17 are usually heard in a Youth Court by up to three specially trained magistrates or a District Judge.
Serious cases go to the Crown Court.

The parents or carers must attend.
The public cannot enter, and media cannot publish the name or photo of the young person.

In Scotland, young offenders are dealt with through the Children’s Hearings System.
In Northern Ireland, a youth conferencing system is used.

Civil Courts

County Courts

County Courts deal with civil disputes, such as:

  • Money owed
  • Personal injury
  • Family issues
  • Contract breaches
  • Divorce

In Scotland, most of these go to the Sheriff Court.
Serious cases go to the High Court (in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) or the Court of Session (in Edinburgh).

Small Claims Procedure

The small claims process helps people settle minor disputes quickly and cheaply.

  • Up to £10,000 in England and Wales
  • Up to £5,000 in Scotland
  • Up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland

The hearing is informal, held in front of a judge in a normal room where both sides sit around a table.
People can also make small claims online through Money Claims Online (www.moneyclaim.gov.uk).

You can find information about your local court at:

UK Court Systems Overview

Zoom-in on the diagram to explore the different courts in each UK nation:

flowchart TB
  %% Style definitions
  classDef top fill:#003366,stroke:#001F3F,color:white,font-weight:bold;
  classDef nation fill:#f2f2f2,stroke:#333,color:#000,font-weight:bold;
  classDef court fill:#ffffff,stroke:#666,color:#111;
  classDef serious fill:#ffe5e5,stroke:#cc0000,color:#000,font-weight:bold;
  classDef minor fill:#e5f5e0,stroke:#228B22,color:#000;
  classDef youth fill:#e0f0ff,stroke:#0073e6,color:#000;
  classDef civil fill:#fff5cc,stroke:#cc9900,color:#000;

  %% Top-level
  Judiciary(["Judiciary<br/>(Judges interpret law and ensure fair trials)"]):::top

  %% England, Wales & Northern Ireland
  subgraph ENG_WAL_NI ["England, Wales & Northern Ireland"]
    direction TB
    EW_Mag["Magistrates' Court<br/>(minor offences)"]:::minor
    EW_Crown["Crown Court<br/>(serious offences)<br/>Judge + Jury (12 members)"]:::serious
    EW_Youth["Youth Court<br/>(ages 10–17)"]:::youth
    EW_County["County Court<br/>(civil disputes)"]:::civil
    EW_High["High Court<br/>(serious civil cases)"]:::civil
    EW_Small["Small Claims<br/>(up to £10,000)"]:::civil
  end
  class ENG_WAL_NI nation;

  %% Scotland
  subgraph SCOT ["Scotland"]
    direction TB
    SC_JP["Justice of the Peace Court<br/>(minor offences)"]:::minor
    SC_Sheriff["Sheriff Court<br/>(criminal & civil cases)"]:::civil
    SC_High["High Court<br/>(most serious criminal cases)<br/>Judge + Jury (15 members)"]:::serious
    SC_Children["Children’s Hearings System<br/>(young offenders)"]:::youth
    SC_CourtSession["Court of Session<br/>(serious civil cases — Edinburgh)"]:::civil
    SC_Small["Simple Claims<br/>(up to £5,000)"]:::civil
  end
  class SCOT nation;

  %% Northern Ireland
  subgraph NI ["Northern Ireland"]
    direction TB
    NI_District["District Judge / Deputy District Judge<br/>(minor cases; legally qualified)"]:::minor
    NI_Youth["Youth Conferencing<br/>(young offenders)"]:::youth
    NI_Small["Small Claims<br/>(up to £5,000)"]:::civil
  end
  class NI nation;

  %% Main connections
  Judiciary --> ENG_WAL_NI
  Judiciary --> SCOT
  Judiciary --> NI

  %% England/Wales/N.I. criminal flow
  EW_Mag --> EW_Crown
  EW_Youth --> EW_Crown

  %% Scotland criminal flow
  SC_JP --> SC_Sheriff
  SC_Sheriff --> SC_High
  SC_Children --> SC_Sheriff

  %% Northern Ireland flow
  NI_District --> EW_Crown
  NI_Youth --> NI_District

  %% Civil courts flow
  EW_County --> EW_High
  EW_Small --> EW_County
  SC_Sheriff --> SC_CourtSession
  SC_Small --> SC_Sheriff
  NI_Small --> EW_County

Solicitors

Solicitors are trained lawyers who:

  • Give legal advice
  • Take legal action for clients
  • Represent clients in court

There are solicitor offices across the UK.
Always check their specialism and experience before hiring.

You can find solicitors through:

Solicitors usually charge based on time spent on the case, so always ask for an estimate of costs at the start.

Key Points

  • Judges (the judiciary) interpret the law and ensure fair trials.
  • The government cannot interfere with judicial decisions.
  • Judges can rule government actions illegal or order compensation.
  • Criminal courts differ across UK nations.
  • Magistrates’ and Justice of the Peace Courts handle minor offences.
  • Crown Courts and Sheriff Courts handle serious crimes with juries.
  • Juries consist of 12 members (England, Wales, NI) or 15 (Scotland).
  • Youth Courts handle cases for ages 10–17; Scotland uses a Children’s Hearings System.
  • County Courts deal with civil cases; small claims are for minor disputes.
  • Legal advice is provided by solicitors, who can be found via Law Societies or Citizens Advice.
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