The Judicial branch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The United Kingdom has no Ministry of Justice. Responsibility for the administration of the judicial system in England and Wales is divided between the courts themselves, the Lord Chancellor, and the Home Secretary. The Lord Chancellor is responsible for the composition of the courts, civil law, parts of criminal procedure and law reform in general; the Home Secretary is responsible for the prevention of criminal offences, trial and treatment of offenders and for the prison service. He recommends all judicial appointments to the Crown, appoints magistrates.

The Judiciary is independent of executive; its judgments are not subject to ministerial direction or control. The Prime Minister recommends the highest judicial appointments to the Crown.

The Lord Chancellor is the head of the judiciary, except in Scotland. He recommends all judicial appointments to the Crown – other than those recommended by the Prime Minister and appoints magistrates. The House of Lords is the final court of appeal, but in practice appeals are heard by life peers who are senior judges or who have held high judicial office. Other peers do not take part in the judicial work of the lords.

Criminal Proceedings. There are two courts of trial and two courts of appeal for criminal proceedings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The courts of trial are the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court, and the courts of appeal are the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords.

The Magistrates' Court. The most common type of law court in England and Wales is the Magistrates' Court. The Magistrates' Court is the lower court of trial. It deals with summary offences. Summary or less serious offences, which make up the vast majority of criminal cases (about 90 percent of all crimes), are tried by magistrates – justices of the peace (JPs). Magistrates’ courts can impose fines of up to £ 2,000 or prison sentences of up to six months. More serious criminal cases, so called indictable offences, then go to the Crown Courts. The most severe punishment is life imprisonment: there has been no death penalty in Britain since 1965. Civil cases are dealt with in County courts.

So Magistrates' Courts have limited powers of penalty but may commit a convicted offender to the Crown Court if it is considered that the powers of the Magistrates' Court are insufficient. Approximately 95% of all prosecutions are dealt with in the Magistrates' Courts.

Juvenile Courts are composed of specially trained magistrates. They try most charges against children and young persons under the age of 18 years. Coroners’ courts investigate violent, sudden or unnatural deaths.

The Crown Court. The Crown Court is the senior court of trial for criminal offences. The courts are established at various centres throughout the country. The courts are presided over by either a High Court Judge, Circuit Judge or Recorder who sits with a jury. The Crown Court for the City of London is the Central Criminal Court, also known as the Old Bailey. The Crown court may also hear appeals against conviction and/ or sentence for some offences dealt with at the Magistrates’ Court. The Crown Court has 90 branches in different towns and cities.

Civil Proceedings. Civil proceedings consist of litigation about property, family matters and actions to obtain financial redress for damage to property and personal injury. The courts of trial for such litigation are the County Court and the High Court of Justice. County Courts are local courts and are presided over by a single Judge. The High Court of Justice is situated in London. Some cases before the High Court of Justice may be heard before a jury.

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