Puisne judge

The term is used almost exclusively in common law jurisdictions: the jurisdiction of England and Wales within the United Kingdom; Australia, including its states and territories; Canada, including its provinces and territories; India, including its states and territories; Pakistan, its provinces, and Azad Kashmir; the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; Kenya; Sri Lanka; South Africa in rural provinces and Hong Kong. In Australia, the most senior judge after a chief justice in superior state courts is referred to as the "senior puisne judge".{{Cite web|url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/wa/consol_reg/rotsc1971281/s5.10.html|title=Rules of the Supreme Court of Western Australia 1971|website=Australian Legal Information Institute|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107175000/http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/wa/consol_reg/rotsc1971281/s5.10.html|archive-date=2018-01-07|url-status=dead|access-date=July 13, 2017}}

Use is rare outside of, usually internal, court (judicial) procedural decisions as to which {{Not a typo|judge(s)}} will sit or has sat in hearings or appeals. The term is dated in detailed, academic case law analyses and, to varying degree direct applicability in higher courts.{{Failed verification|date=January 2024}}{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

The term excludes the court's chief {{Not a typo|judge(s)}}/{{Not a typo|justice(s)}}; any seniormost judges, often specialists or a managerial head, sitting ex officio (by virtue of their office) as such in the court for which they have duties below; and any technically junior judges who may have been called to serve in a higher court, whom law reports and transcripts customarily specify as "sitting in" a judicial panel of a higher court or "sitting as" a judge of that court.

In Bermuda, the Supreme Court comprises the Chief Justice and a number of puisne judges.Bermuda Constitution Order 1968, section 73(2) As of January 2020, there are three puisne judges, with a vacancy for a fourth.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=14 February 2020|title=The Bermuda Judiciary Annual Report 2019|url=https://www.gov.bm/sites/default/files/The-Bermuda-Judiciary-Annual-Report-2019.pdf|access-date=2021-01-16|website=Supreme Court|publisher=Government of Bermuda|page=62}} New puisne judges are appointed by the Governor following a consultation with the Chief Justice.Bermuda Constitution Order 1968, section 73(4)

In Canada judges other than the chief justice of a court are referred to as puisne judges.{{cite web|url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/J-1/FullText.html|access-date=2021-07-08|title=Judges Act|publisher=Department of Justice, Canada|date=2021-06-16}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/meet-the-judges-supreme-court-1.3809008|access-date=2021-07-08|date=2016-10-17|title=Canada's Supreme Court: Meet the judges|publisher=CBC News}}

{{Main|Puisne judge of Fiji}}

In Gibraltar, puisne judges, of which there must be at least one, are responsible for family law proceedings in the Supreme Court.Supreme Court Act, section 12A(1)

In Jamaica, the Supreme Court comprises the Chief Justice, and between 25 and 41 puisne judges, one of whom is designated the Senior Puisne Judge.Judicature (Supreme Court) Act, section 5(1)

In Mauritius, the Supreme Court comprises the Chief Justice, the Senior Puisne Judge, and 20 other puisne judges.{{Cite web|title=Supreme Court|url=https://supremecourt.govmu.org/Pages/Supreme-Court.aspx|access-date=2021-01-16|website=supremecourt.govmu.org}}

In England and Wales, judges of the High Court are referred to as puisne judges, unless the judge in question holds a specific title, such as Lord Chief Justice.{{Cite book|last1=Holland|first1=James|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1108710547|title=Learning Legal Rules|last2=Webb|first2=Julian|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2019|isbn=978-0-19-879990-0|edition=Tenth|location=Oxford, United Kingdom|pages=20|oclc=1108710547}}{{Cite web|title=High Court judges|url=https://www.judiciary.uk/about-the-judiciary/who-are-the-judiciary/judicial-roles/judges/high-court-judges/|access-date=2021-01-15|website=www.judiciary.uk|language=en-US}} Puisne judges must have at least seven years' experience as a barrister, or at least two years' experience as a circuit judge.{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1043882876|title=A Dictionary of Law|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2018|isbn=978-0-19-184080-7|editor-last=Law|editor-first=Jonathan|edition=Ninth|location=Oxford, United Kingdom|pages=457|chapter=Puisne judge|oclc=1043882876}} The maximum number of puisne judges permitted in England and Wales at any one time is the full-time equivalent of 108.Senior Courts Act 1981, section 4(1)(e) (as amended)

Puisne judges are styled as The Honourable Mr/Mrs/Ms Justice [surname].

In Northern Ireland, judges of the High Court are referred to as puisne judges, with the exception of the Lord Chief Justice.Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978, section 2(1) The maximum number of puisne judges permitted in Northern Ireland at any one time is 15.The Maximum Number of Judges Order (Northern Ireland) 2020, article 2

Puisne judges are styled as The Honourable Mr/Mrs/Madam Justice [surname].{{Cite web|title=Judiciary of Northern Ireland|url=https://www.judiciaryni.uk/about-judiciary/judicial-members|access-date=2021-01-15|website=Judiciary NI|language=en}}

• Puisne

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150419194955/http://scc-csc.gc.ca/vis/image-eng.aspx?id=gal-po-bp-1 Puisne Judge's Office] (archived 19 April 2015)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101212225655/http://bombayhighcourt.nic.in/libweb/bhcjudges/bhcjudges.html Puisne judges of the Bombay High Court] (archived 12 December 2010)

Category:Judges

Category:Legal professions