Judiciary of England and Wales

There are various levels of judiciary in England and Wales — different types of courts have different styles of judges. They also form a strict hierarchy of importance, in line with the order of the courts in which they sit, so that judges of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales are generally given more weight than district judges sitting in county courts and magistrates' courts. At 31 March 2006 there were 1,825 judges in post in England and Wales, most of whom were circuit judges (626) or district judges (572). Some judges with United Kingdom-wide jurisdiction also sit in England and Wales, particularly Justices of the United Kingdom Supreme Court and members of the tribunals judiciary.

By statute, judges are guaranteed continuing judicial independence.

The following is a list of the various types of judges who sit in the Courts of England and Wales:

Lord Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor

Since 3 April 2006, the Lord Chief Justice has been the overall head of the judiciary. Previously he was second to the Lord Chancellor, but that office lost its judicial functions under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The Lord Chief Justice is also the head of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal. He was also President of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court, but on becoming head of the judiciary that responsibility was transferred to a new office.

Magna Carta

Magna Carta (Latin for "the Great Charter"), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Latin for "the Great Charter of the Liberties"), is a charter agreed by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between the unpopular King and a group of rebel barons, it promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown, to be implemented through a council of 25 barons. Neither side stood behind their commitments, and the charter was annulled by Pope Innocent III, leading to the First Barons' War. After John's death, the regency government of his young son, Henry III, reissued the document in 1216, stripped of some of its more radical content, in an unsuccessful bid to build political support for their cause. At the end of the war in 1217, it formed part of the peace treaty agreed at Lambeth, where the document acquired the name Magna Carta, to distinguish it from the smaller Charter of the Forest which was issued at the same time. Short of funds, Henry reissued the charter again in 1225 in exchange for a grant of new taxes; his son, Edward I, repeated the exercise in 1297, this time confirming it as part of England's statute law.

Court

A court is a tribunal, often as governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law. In both common law and civil law legal systems, courts are the central means for dispute resolution, and it is generally understood that all persons have an ability to bring their claims before a court. Similarly, the rights of those accused of a crime include the right to present a defense before a court.

The system of courts that interprets and applies the law is collectively known as the judiciary. The place where a court sits is known as a venue. The room where court proceedings occur is known as a courtroom, and the building as a courthouse; court facilities range from simple and very small facilities in rural communities to large buildings in cities.

The practical authority given to the court is known as its jurisdiction (Latin jus dicere) – the court's power to decide certain kinds of questions or petitions put to it. According to William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, a court is constituted by a minimum of three parties: the actor or plaintiff, who complains of an injury done; the reus or defendant, who is called upon to make satisfaction for it, and the judex or judicial power, which is to examine the truth of the fact, to determine the law arising upon that fact, and, if any injury appears to have been done, to ascertain and by its officers to apply a legal remedy. It is also usual in the superior courts to have barristers, and attorneys or counsel, as assistants, though, often, courts consist of additional barristers, bailiffs, reporters, and perhaps a jury.

Tim Green

Timothy John "Tim" Green (born December 16, 1963) is a former American football player, a radio and television personality, and currently a best-selling author. He was a linebacker and defensive end with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League, a commentator for National Public Radio, the former host of the 2005 revival of A Current Affair on Fox.

Biography

Green graduated from Syracuse University College of Law in 1994. While in attendance, he was named a two-time Academic All American. After graduating Green was drafted 17th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1986 NFL Draft. and served as a commentator for the NFL on Fox. He was a co-host of Find My Family with Lisa Joyner on ABC Television in 2009.

In December 2011, Green was named a winner of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, given annually to six former NCAA student-athletes for distinguished career accomplishment on the 25th anniversary of their college graduation.

Green is also an accomplished author. His book Football Genius made The New York Times best-seller list of children's chapter books. He serves on the National Writer's Project Writing Council and has written over thirty novels in the adult suspense and youth sports genres.

Law of the Land

Law of the Land (1993–1999) was an Australian television drama series that screened on the Nine Network. The series was set in the fictional country town of Merringanee and centered on the unique way that locals dealt with and enforced the law.

The series was created by Ro Hume and Sue Masters and produced by Bruce Best, Matt Carroll, Richard Clendinnen and Terrie Vincent.

Cast