What is a judge?
Q: What is a judge?
A: A judge is a person who is in control of a court of law.
Q: How do you become a judge?
A: The way to become a judge depends on each country. In some countries, judges must work with the law (often as a lawyer) for a number of years before they can "sit as a judge" in a courthouse.
Q: What is the role of a judge?
A: Judges are supposed to conduct the trial in an open courtroom and impartially. If there is a jury, the judge has the job of making sure the person taken to court is treated in a fair way.
Q: Do judges make all decisions on their own?
A: In many English speaking countries, judges cannot make some decisions on their own. In these countries, juries are used, but not for all cases.
Q: What is the history of jury trials?
A: The modern jury trial first developed in mid-12th century England during the reign of Henry II.
Q: Do all countries have supreme or high courts?
A: Not all countries have supreme or high courts, but it is common for countries to have a supreme court or high court with many (nine or more) judges in it for important decisions about the laws of a country.
Q: What is the attire for judges in court?
A: In many countries, judges wear special clothes while being in court. Often this is a black robe or cloak. Supreme or High Court judges often wear a red cloak. Judges in some countries also wear a special long wig. They also used to put a piece of black material on their head when they sentenced a person to die.
