What do I call a judge?
Here are the different ways to address members of the judiciary:
Senior judiciary
| Address (in Correspondence) | Dear… | In court |
|---|---|---|
| The Right Honourable The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales |
Lord Chief Justice/Chief Justice |
My Lord or My Lady |
| The Right Honourable The Master of the Rolls |
Master of the Rolls | |
| The Right Honourable The President of the Queen’s Bench Division |
President | |
| The Right Honourable The President of the Family Division |
President | |
| The Right Honourable The Chancellor of the High Court |
Chancellor | |
| Retired Head of Division | Title in Private Capacity | N/A |
Court of Appeal Judge
Judges who sit in the Court of Appeal (Lords Justices of Appeal) are Privy Councillors. They are known officially as Lord Justices. They should be addressed as follows:
| Address (in Correspondence) | Dear… | In court |
|---|---|---|
| The Right Honourable Lord Justice Wells | Lord Justice | My Lord |
| The Right Honourable Lady Justice Wells DBE | Lady Justice | My Lady |
High Court Judges
Members of the High Court are not usually Privy Councillors.
Their official designation is as follows:
| Office/Position | Address (in correspondence) | Dear… | In court |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Court judge | The Honourable Mr Justice Wicksteed | Judge | My Lord |
| High Court judge | The Honourable Mrs/Ms Justice Wicksteed (whether married or single) | Judge | My Lady |
High Court Masters & Registrars
| Office/Position | Address (in correspondence) | Dear… | In court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master | Master Holman (whether male or female) |
Master | Master |
| Registrar | Mr (or Mrs) Registrar Holman | Registrar | Registrar |
| Insolvency and Companies Court Judge | Judge Holman (whether male or female) | Judge | Judge |
Circuit judges
Some Circuit Judges – for example, The Recorder of Liverpool or Central Criminal Court judges – are referred to as “My Lord” or “My Lady”.
| Address (in correspondence) | Dear… | In court |
|---|---|---|
| His Honour Judge Williams (QC if appropriate) | Judge | Your Honour |
| Her Honour Judge Williams (QC if appropriate) | Judge | Your Honour |
District Judges
| Address (in correspondence) | Dear… | In court |
|---|---|---|
| District Judge Pennington | Judge | Sir or Madam |
District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts)
| Address (in correspondence) | Dear… | In court |
|---|---|---|
| District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) Stewart | Judge | Sir or Madam |
Magistrates
| Dear… | In court |
|---|---|
| John Curry, Esq JP | Your Worship, or Sir or Madam |
Tribunal Judges
| Address (in correspondence) | Dear… | In court |
|---|---|---|
| First-tier Tribunal Judge/Upper Tribunal Judge (depending on position) Curry | Judge | Sir or Madam |
Employment Judges
| Address (in correspondence) | Dear… | In court |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Judge Collins | Judge | Sir or Madam |