The Role of Judges | English Legal System - İngiliz Hukuk Sisteminde Hakimlerin Rolü

 

he Role of Judges in the English Legal System

Introduction:

This document provides an overview of the role of judges within the English legal system, based on excerpts from a lesson on the topic. It explores the functions of judges at different levels of the court structure, from inferior courts to the Supreme Court, and highlights the distinct roles judges play compared to juries. The document also considers the role of appeals and the significance of precedent.

Key Themes & Ideas:

1. Hierarchical Court Structure and Judicial Roles:

• The English legal system has a hierarchical structure, with judges operating at various levels. The source emphasizes a distinction between "inferior" courts (e.g., County Court, Crown Court, Magistrates Court) and "superior" courts (e.g., High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court).
• The role of a judge is significantly influenced by the court level. Judges at lower courts are involved in the day-to-day hearing of cases. Superior courts tend to deal more with appeals and legal interpretation.
• The briefing document will outline the role of judges at each level of court.

1. Role of Judges vs. Juries:

• A crucial distinction is drawn between the "Trier of Law" (the judge) and the "Trier of Fact" (the jury).
• Judges carry a "legal burden," which means they are responsible for directing the jury on matters of law and instructing them on how to apply the law to the facts. The source uses the following wording to emphasize the judges role, "the judge will direct the jury on the matters of Law and will also essentially tell the jury and inform the jury or instruct the jury should I say uh in essentially coming to the conclusion that if um this is the case um that you are of the opinion of this factual analysis for example if you believe this factual thing to be true or to be false then you will find for uh the defendant or for the prosecution".
• Juries carry an "evidential burden" by weighing the evidence to determine facts.

1. Inferior Courts and First Instance Cases:

• County Courts: Primarily hear civil cases.
• Crown Courts: Primarily hear "indictable" criminal cases (more serious offences), which are differentiated from summary (non-indictable) offences dealt with by magistrates' courts
• Magistrates' Courts: Hear non-indictable offences (summary offences).
• Inferior courts often hear cases "at first instance," meaning the initial trial in a judicial setting. Some civil cases may also involve a jury.

1. High Courts and Appeals:

• The High Court often hears cases at first instance, but also hears appeals from lower courts (County and Crown courts).
• This means the high court has a similar role to inferior courts but also functions as an appeals court.

1. Court of Appeal and Points of Law:

• The Court of Appeal focuses on appeals from lower courts, dealing exclusively with disputes related to the application of law, not with re-examining points of fact. The source states "the appeals process is based on disputes relating to points of law not relating to points of fact"
• The Court of Appeal determines whether lower courts correctly applied the law, considering new areas of law or disagreements over legal interpretation.
• The Court of Appeal operates in both civil and criminal jurisdictions.
• Court of Appeal decisions are made by an odd number of Justices of Appeal (usually three, sometimes five for significant cases). This is done to ensure that a clear decision is made and avoid a split result.

1. Supreme Court: Final Point of Appeal:

• The Supreme Court is the final point of appeal within the domestic legal system. It primarily deals with appeals on matters of law, not fact.
• The source states "the Supreme Court just like the the court of appeal will hear cases on appeal from both criminal and civil jurisdiction there will also be um points and matters of law again not points and matters of facts"
• While appeals are most often civil, some criminal cases will progress to the Supreme Court.
• Supreme Court cases often involve matters of constitutional or administrative law, including judicial review.
• The source highlights the significance of the Supreme Court by mentioning the Miller cases relating to Brexit as being highly important and publicized.

1. Binding Precedent:

• Decisions made by the Supreme Court create "binding precedent".
• This precedent is binding on all lower courts in the legal system and cannot be overriden by them.

Key Quotes:

• "the judge will direct the jury on the matters of Law and will also essentially tell the jury and inform the jury or instruct the jury should I say uh in essentially coming to the conclusion that if um this is the case um that you are of the opinion of this factual analysis for example if you believe this factual thing to be true or to be false then you will find for uh the defendant or for the prosecution" - illustrating the Judges role with a jury.
• "the appeals process is based on disputes relating to points of law not relating to points of fact" - illustrating the role of appeal courts.
• "the Supreme Court just like the the court of appeal will hear cases on appeal from both criminal and civil jurisdiction there will also be um points and matters of law again not points and matters of facts" - illustrating the role of the supreme court in relation to law and not fact.

Conclusion:

The role of judges in the English legal system is multifaceted and varies depending on the court level. Judges are primarily responsible for the correct application of the law, ensuring fair trials, and in higher courts, shaping the future of the law through their interpretation and development of legal principles. The clear distinction between their role as "Trier of Law" and the jury's role as "Trier of Fact" is critical to the functioning of the system. The hierarchical structure, with its appeals processes, allows for challenges and refinements to legal interpretations ensuring consistency and the development of binding precedent.

İngiliz Hukuk Sisteminde Hakimlerin Rolü

Giriş:

Bu belge, İngiltere ve Galler'deki yargı sisteminde hakimlerin rollerini incelemektedir. Daha önceki derslerde yargının yapısı ele alınmış, bu derste ise farklı seviyelerdeki hakimlerin görevleri ayrıntılı olarak incelenecektir.

Temel Temalar ve Fikirler:

• Yargı Yapısı: Yargı sistemi, alt mahkemelerden (inferior courts) üst mahkemelere (superior courts) doğru bir hiyerarşi izler. Bu hiyerarşi, davaların görülme ve temyiz süreçlerini belirler.
• Hakimlerin Atanması: Hakimlerin atanma süreci, Judicial Appointments Commission (Yargı Atama Komisyonu) ve Lord Şansölyesi'nin rolünü içerir. 2005 tarihli Anayasal Reform Yasası bu süreçte değişiklikler getirmiştir.
• Alt Mahkemelerdeki Hakimlerin Rolü: Alt mahkemelerdeki hakimler, genellikle davaları ilk derece mahkemesi olarak dinlerler.
• County Court (İlçe Mahkemesi): Hukuk davalarını görür.
• Crown Court (Ağır Ceza Mahkemesi): İddianame gerektiren (indictable) ceza davalarını görür. "Indictable criminal cases…is just a delineation between indictable and non- indictable or summary offenses".
• Bu mahkemelerde jüri de bulunabilir. Jüri, olgusal (fact) kanıt yüküne sahipken, hakim yasal (law) kanıt yüküne sahiptir. "The judge will direct the jury on the matters of Law and will also essentially tell the jury and inform the jury or instruct the jury should I say".
• Yüksek Mahkeme (High Court): Hem ilk derece davalarına bakar hem de alt mahkemelerden gelen temyiz başvurularını değerlendirir.
• Temyiz Mahkemesi (Court of Appeal): Alt mahkemelerin hukuk uygulamalarındaki hatalarına ilişkin temyiz başvurularını değerlendirir. Bu mahkeme, olgusal değil, hukuki konulara odaklanır. "The appeals process is based on disputes relating to points of law not relating to points of fact". Kararlar, çoğunlukla üç, bazen de beş hakimden oluşan heyetler tarafından alınır.
• Yüksek Mahkeme (Supreme Court): Ülkedeki en yüksek temyiz mahkemesidir. Hem ceza hem de hukuk davalarındaki temyiz başvurularını değerlendirir. Özellikle anayasal ve idari hukuk konularıyla ilgilenir.
• Yüksek Mahkeme'nin kararları, bağlayıcı emsal (binding precedent) oluşturur. Bu emsaller, alt mahkemeler için yol gösterici niteliktedir ve bu mahkemeler tarafından göz ardı edilemez. "The decisions made by the Supreme Court will actually create something known as binding precedent".
• Örnek olarak, Brexit ile ilgili Miller davaları (özellikle hükümetin parlamentoyu askıya alma kararı) verilmiştir. "The most famous arguably the most famous cases were the two Miller cases which takes place in relation to brexit".
• Uluslararası Mahkemeler: Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesi (European Court of Human Rights) ve Avrupa Adalet Divanı (European Court of Justice) gibi uluslararası mahkemeler, bazı durumlarda İngiltere yargı sistemi üzerinde bağlayıcı yetkiye sahip olabilir.

Önemli Alıntılar:

• "The judge will direct the jury on the matters of Law and will also essentially tell the jury and inform the jury or instruct the jury should I say" (Hakimin jüriye hukuki konularda yol göstermesi ve jüriyi bilgilendirmesi).
• "The appeals process is based on disputes relating to points of law not relating to points of fact" (Temyiz süreci, olgusal değil, hukuki konulara ilişkin anlaşmazlıklara dayanır).
• "The decisions made by the Supreme Court will actually create something known as binding precedent" (Yüksek Mahkeme'nin kararları, bağlayıcı emsal oluşturur).
• "The most famous arguably the most famous cases were the two Miller cases which takes place in relation to brexit" (En ünlü davalar, Brexit ile ilgili Miller davalarıydı).

Sonuç:

Bu belge, İngiliz hukuk sisteminde hakimlerin rollerini ve farklı mahkeme türlerindeki görevlerini özetlemektedir. Hakimlerin yargı sistemindeki önemi, davaların doğru ve adil bir şekilde sonuçlandırılması için kritik öneme sahiptir.