The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome,a magistratus was one of the highest ranking government officers,and possessed both judicial and executive powers. In other parts of the world,such as China,magistrate is a word applied to a person responsible for administration over a particular geographic area. Today,in some jurisdictions,a magistrate is a judicial officer who hears cases in a lower court,and typically deals with more minor or preliminary matters. In other jurisdictions,magistrates are typically trained volunteers appointed to deal with criminal and civil matters in their local areas.
The Judiciary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the judicial branch of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Under the Basic Law of Hong Kong,it exercises the judicial power of the Region and is independent of the executive and legislative branches of the Government. The courts in Hong Kong hear and adjudicate all prosecutions and civil disputes,including all public and private law matters.
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 given more weight than district judges sitting in county courts and magistrates' courts. On 1 April 2020 there were 3,174 judges in post in England and Wales. 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.
The judiciary of Pakistan is the national system of courts that maintains the law and order in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan uses a common law system,which was introduced during the colonial era,influenced by local medieval judicial systems based on religious and cultural practices. The Constitution of Pakistan lays down the fundamentals and working of the Pakistani judiciary.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the Kingdom of Spain. Originally established pursuant to Title V of the Constitution of 1812 to replace —in all matters that affected justice—the System of Councils,and currently regulated by Title VI of the Constitution of 1978,it has original jurisdiction over cases against high-ranking officials of the Kingdom and over cases regarding illegalization of political parties. It also has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all cases. The Court has the power of judicial review,except for the judicial revision on constitutional matters,reserved to the Constitutional Court.
The judiciary of India is a system of courts that interpret and apply the law in the Republic of India. India uses a common law system,first introduced by the British East India Company and with influence from other colonial powers and Indian princely states,as well as practices from ancient and medieval times. The Constitution of India provides concept for a single and unified judiciary in India.
The Judicial Commission of New South Wales is an independent statutory corporation of the New South Wales Government that provides sentencing information and continuing education to and examines complaints made against judicial officers in New South Wales,Australia.
The Supreme Court of Namibia is the highest court in the judicial system of Namibia. It is the court of last resort and the highest appellate court in the country. It is located in the city centre of Namibia's capital city,Windhoek. A Supreme Court decision is supreme in that it can only be reversed by an Act of Parliament that contradicts it,or by another ruling of the Supreme Court itself.
Petrus Tileinge Damaseb is a Namibian judge serving as the Judge President of the High Court of Namibia as well as the Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Namibia.
Bart Magunda Katureebe is a Ugandan judge and the former Chief Justice of Uganda. He was appointed to that position on 5 March 2015. Before that,he was a justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda.
Justice James Ogoola is the former Principal Judge of the High Court of Uganda and a Justice of the COMESA Court of Justice in Lusaka,Zambia. He is the also the former chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission of Uganda. Previously,he served as the chairman of the commission of inquiry into the mismanagement of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS,Tuberculosis and Malaria. He was an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda. He is a member of The East African Court of Justice.
Judicial independence is protected by Singapore's Constitution,statutes such as the State Courts Act and Supreme Court of Judicature Act,and the common law. Independence of the judiciary is the principle that the judiciary should be separated from legislative and executive power,and shielded from inappropriate pressure from these branches of government,and from private or partisan interests. It is crucial as it serves as a foundation for the rule of law and democracy.
The chief justice of Namibia,sometimes also referred to as the judge president,is the head of the Supreme Court of Namibia,the highest appellate court in Namibia. It is the highest post in the Namibian judicial system,presiding over the operation of the supreme court. The position was created on 21 March 1990,the day of Namibian independence,along with the foundation of the Supreme Court.
The basis of the Bahamian Law and legal system lies within the English Common Law tradition. Justices of the Supreme Court,Registrars and Magistrates are all appointed by The Governor-General acting on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission,which is composed of five individuals who are headed by the Chief Justice as their chairman. The Chief Justice and the Justices of the Court of Appeal,including the President,are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. Once appointed,the salaries and other terms of appointment of the Chief Justice,Justices of Appeal and Justices of the Supreme Court cannot be altered to their disadvantage. Justices of the Supreme Court can serve until the age of 65 years and,where agreed among the judge,the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition,may serve until the age of 67. Justices of Appeal can serve until the age of 68 years and,where agreed among the judge,the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition,may serve until the age of 70 years. The law of The Bahamas makes provisions for the appointment of 12 Justices to the Bench of the Supreme Court,inclusive of the Chief Justice,and for five Justices of the Court of Appeal,inclusive of the President. The Chief Justice,as Head of the Judiciary,is an ex officio member of the Court of Appeal,but only sits at the invitation of the President.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) of Kenya is an independent Commission established under Article 171 of the Constitution of Kenya. Its mandate as stipulated in Article 172 of the Constitution is to promote and facilitate the independence and accountability of the Judiciary and the efficient,effective and transparent administration of justice. The commission has 11 members with the initial team appointed in December 2010.
The Judiciary of Kenya is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in Kenya. After the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya in 2010,the general public,through parliament,sought to reform the judiciary. Parliament passed the Magistrates and Judges Vetting Act of 2011. A major part of reforming the judiciary was the vetting of Magistrates and Judges in an attempt to weed out unsuitable ones. The Judicature Act has also been amended to raise the minimum number of Magistrates and Judges allowing more judicial officers to be hired. More magistrates and judges are needed to clear the backlog of cases that have caused great delay in the conclusion of cases and to staff new courts. New courts are needed to bring the courts closer to the people which is in line with devolution,a major principle written into the Constitution of 2010. New courts like the High Court opened in Garissa in November 2014 is a good example. In the past residents of North Eastern Kenya had to go all the way to Embu to access a High Court.
The National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) was a proposed body which would have been responsible for the recruitment,appointment and transfer of judicial officers,legal officers and legal employees under the government of India and in all state governments of India. The commission was established by amending the Constitution of India through the 99th constitution amendment with the Constitution (Ninety-Ninth Amendment) Act,2014 or 99th Constitutional Amendment Act-2014 passed by the Lok Sabha on 13 August 2014 and by the Rajya Sabha on 14 August 2014. The NJAC would have replaced the collegium system for the appointment of judges as invoked by the Supreme court via judicial fiat by a new system. Along with the Constitution Amendment Act,the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act,2014,was also passed by the Parliament of India to regulate the functions of the National Judicial Appointments Commission. The NJAC Bill and the Constitutional Amendment Bill,was ratified by 16 of the state legislatures in India,and subsequently assented by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 31 December 2014. The NJAC Act and the Constitutional Amendment Act came into force from 13 April 2015.
The Judiciary of Zambia is the branch of the Government of the Republic of Zambia which interprets and applies the country's laws to ensure impartial justice under law and to provide a mechanism for dispute resolution. Under the 1991 Constitution,justices and magistrates are independent of the government and subject only to the Constitution and the law.
Stephen Alan Brobbey is a retired jurist. He was a justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana and once served as Chief Justice of the Gambia.
Justice William Ouko is a Kenyan lawyer and Judge with a wealth of experience in judicial and administrative service spanning over 34 years. He is currently serving as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya. He was nominated by the Judicial Service Commission for the seat of a Judge of the Supreme Court on 5 May 2021. On 14 May 2021,he was appointed to the position by the President of the Republic of Kenya H.E Uhuru Kenyatta,CGH and was subsequently sworn in on 21 May 2021. He served as the President of the Court of Appeal of Kenya prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court,a position to which he was elected on 9 March 2018.
