Chief Justice

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The Chief Justice is the presiding member of a supreme court in any of many countries with a justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Supreme Court of Singapore, the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong, the Supreme Court of Japan, the Supreme Court of India, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the Supreme Court of Nepal, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Supreme Court of Ireland, the Supreme Court of New Zealand, the High Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of the United States, and provincial or state supreme courts.

Contents

The situation is slightly different in the three legal jurisdictions within the United Kingdom. The courts of England and Wales are headed by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales; in Northern Ireland's courts, the equivalent position is the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, and in the courts of Scotland the head of the judiciary of Scotland is the Lord President of the Court of Session, who is also Lord Justice General of Scotland. These three judges are not, though, part of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, which operates across all three jurisdictions and is headed by the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

The Chief Justice can be selected in many ways, but, in many nations, the position is given to the most senior justice of the court, while, in the United States, it is often the President's most important political nomination, subject to approval by the United States Senate. Although the title of this top American jurist is, by statute, Chief Justice of the United States, the term "Chief Justice of the Supreme Court" is often used unofficially.

In some courts, the Chief Justice has a different title, e.g. President of the Supreme Court. In other courts, the title of Chief Justice is used, but the court has a different name, e.g. the Supreme Court of Judicature in colonial (British) Ceylon, and the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (in the US state of West Virginia).

Competence

The Chief Justice's personal ruling is equal in weight to the rulings of any associate judges on the court.

In several countries, the Chief Justice is second in line to the office of President or Governor General (or third in line, if there is a Vice President or Lieutenant Governor General), should the incumbent die or resign. For example, if the Governor General of Canada is unable to perform his or her duties, the Chief Justice of Canada performs the duties of the Governor General.

Apart from their intrinsic role in litigation, they may have additional responsibilities, such as "swearing in" high officers of state; for instance, the Chief Justice of the United States traditionally administers the oath of office at the inauguration ceremony of the President of the United States, as does the Chief Justice of South Africa at the inauguration of the President of South Africa.

List of Chief Justice positions

See also

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The following is the Australian Table of Precedence.

  1. The Queen of Australia: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
  2. The Governor-General of Australia: His Excellency General The Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove
  3. Governors of states in order of appointment:
    1. Governor of Queensland His Excellency The Honourable Paul de Jersey
    2. Governor of South Australia His Excellency The Honourable Hieu Van Le
    3. Governor of New South Wales His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley
    4. Governor of Tasmania Her Excellency Professor The Honourable Kate Warner
    5. Governor of Victoria Her Excellency The Honourable Linda Dessau
    6. Governor of Western Australia His Excellency The Honourable Kim Beazley
  4. The Prime Minister The Honourable Scott Morrison MP
  5. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives in order of appointment:
    1. Speaker of the House of Representatives The Honourable Tony Smith MP
    2. President of the Senate Senator The Honourable Scott Ryan
  6. The Chief Justice of Australia The Honourable Susan Kiefel
  7. Senior diplomatic posts:
    1. Ambassadors and High Commissioners in order of date of presentation of the Letters of Credence or Commission
    2. Chargés d'affaires en pied or en titre in order of date of presentation of the Letters of Credence or Commission
    3. Chargés d'affaires and Acting High Commissioners in order of date of assumption of duties
  8. Members of the Federal Executive Council:
    1. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
    2. Treasurer
    3. Minister for Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation
    4. Minister for Finance and the Public Sector and Vice President of the Executive Council
    5. Minister for Indigenous Affairs
    6. Minister for Defence
    7. Minister for Defence Industry
    8. Minister for Foreign Affairs
    9. Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment
    10. Attorney-General
    11. Minister for Home Affairs
    12. Minister for Communications and Minister for the Arts
    13. Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations and Minister for Women
    14. Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education
    15. Minister for Resources and Northern Australia
    16. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology
    17. Minister for Education
    18. Minister for Health
    19. Minister for Families and Social Services
    20. Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources
    21. Minister for the Environment
    22. Minister for Energy
    23. Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population
    24. Assistant Treasurer
    25. Special Minister of State
    26. Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC
    27. Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs
    28. Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health
    29. Minister for Human Services and Digital Transformation
    30. Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
    31. Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories
    32. Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister
    33. Assistant Minister for Roads and Transport
    34. Assistant Minister for Treasury and Finance
    35. Assistant Minister for Defence
    36. Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific
    37. Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment
    38. Assistant Minister for Home Affairs
    39. Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services
    40. Assistant Minister for Children and Families
    41. Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources
  9. Administrators of Territories in order of appointment:
    1. Administrator of Norfolk Island
    2. Administrator of the Australian Indian Ocean Territories
    3. Administrator of the Northern Territory
  10. The Leader of the Opposition The Honourable Bill Shorten MP
  11. Former holders of high offices:
    1. Former Governors-General in order of leaving office:
      1. Bill Hayden (1989–1996)
      2. Sir William Deane (1996–2001)
      3. Dr Peter Hollingworth (2001–2003)
      4. Major General Michael Jeffery (2003–2008)
      5. Dame Quentin Bryce (2008–2014)
    2. Former Prime Ministers in order of leaving office:
      1. Bob Hawke (1983–1991)
      2. Paul Keating (1991–1996)
      3. John Howard (1996–2007)
      4. Kevin Rudd
      5. Julia Gillard (2010–2013)
      6. Tony Abbott (2013–2015)
      7. Malcolm Turnbull (2015–2018)
    3. Former Chief Justices in order of leaving office:
      1. Sir Anthony Mason (1987–1995)
      2. Sir Gerard Brennan (1995–1998)
      3. Murray Gleeson (1998–2008)
      4. Robert French (2008–2017)
  12. Premiers of states in order of state populations, then the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory:
    1. Premier of New South Wales
    2. Premier of Victoria
    3. Premier of Queensland
    4. Premier of Western Australia
    5. Premier of South Australia
    6. Premier of Tasmania
    7. Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
  13. Justices of the High Court in order of appointment:
    1. Virginia Bell
    2. Stephen Gageler
    3. Patrick Keane
    4. Geoffrey Nettle
    5. Michelle Gordon
    6. James Edelman
  14. Senior judges:
    1. Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia
    2. President of the Fair Work Commission
  15. Chief Justices of States in order of appointment:
    1. Chief Justice of New South Wales
    2. Chief Justice of South Australia
    3. Chief Justice of Tasmania
    4. Chief Justice of Queensland
    5. Chief Justice of Victoria
    6. Chief Justice of Western Australia
  16. Australian members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in order of appointment:
    1. Doug Anthony
    2. Ian Sinclair
    3. Sir William Heseltine
  17. The Chief of the Defence Force
  18. Chief Judges of Federal and Territory Courts in order of appointment
    1. Chief Justice of the Australian Capital Territory
    2. Chief Justice of the Northern Territory
    3. Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia
  19. Members of Parliament
  20. Judges of the Federal Court of Australia and Family Court of Australia, and Deputy presidents of the Fair Work Commission in order of appointment
  21. Lord Mayors of capital cities in order of city populations:
    1. Lord Mayor of Sydney
    2. Lord Mayor of Melbourne
    3. Lord Mayor of Brisbane
    4. Lord Mayor of Perth
    5. Lord Mayor of Adelaide
    6. Lord Mayor of Hobart
    7. Lord Mayor of Darwin
  22. Heads of religious communities according to the date of assuming office in Australia
  23. Presiding officers of State Legislatures in order of appointment, then Presiding Officer of the Northern Territory legislature:
    1. President of the Victorian Legislative Council
    2. Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
    3. President of the Tasmanian Legislative Council
    4. President of the New South Wales Legislative Council
    5. Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
    6. Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
    7. President of the Western Australian Legislative Council
    8. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland
    9. Speaker of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
    10. President of the South Australian Legislative Council
    11. Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly
    12. Speaker of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
  24. Members of State Executive Councils in order of state populations, and then members of the Northern Territory Executive Council:
    1. Executive Council of New South Wales
    2. Executive Council of Victoria
    3. Executive Council of Queensland
    4. Executive Council of Western Australia
    5. Executive Council of South Australia
    6. Executive Council of Tasmania
    7. Executive Council of the Northern Territory
  25. Leaders of the Opposition of State Legislatures in order of state populations, then in the Northern Territory:
    1. Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales
    2. Leader of the Opposition of Victoria
    3. Leader of the Opposition of Queensland
    4. Leader of the Opposition of Western Australia
    5. Leader of the Opposition of South Australia
    6. Leader of the Opposition of Tasmania
    7. Leader of the Opposition of the Northern Territory
  26. Judges of State and Territory Supreme Courts in order of appointment:
    1. Supreme Court of New South Wales
    2. Supreme Court of Victoria
    3. Supreme Court of Queensland
    4. Supreme Court of Western Australia
    5. Supreme Court of South Australia
    6. Supreme Court of Tasmania
    7. Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
  27. Members of State Legislatures in order of state populations:
    1. New South Wales Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council
    2. Victorian Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council
    3. Queensland Legislative Assembly
    4. Western Australian Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council
    5. South Australian House of Assembly and Legislative Council
    6. Tasmanian House of Assembly and Legislative Council
    7. Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
  28. The Secretaries of Departments of the Australian Public Service and their peers and the Chiefs of the Air Force, Army, and Navy and Vice Chief of the Defence Force in order of first appointment to this group:
    1. Vice Chief of the Defence Force
    2. Chief of Navy
    3. Chief of Army
    4. Chief of Air Force
  29. Consuls-General, Consuls and Vice-Consuls according to the date on which recognition was granted
  30. Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
  31. Recipients of Decorations or Honours from the Sovereign
  32. Citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
Judiciaries of the United Kingdom

The judiciary of the United Kingdom are the separate judiciaries of the three legal systems in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. However, the judges of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, Employment Tribunals, Employment Appeal Tribunal and the UK tribunals system do have a United Kingdom–wide jurisdiction.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is a title that may be conferred on legal practitioners in Nigeria of not less than ten years' standing and who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession. It is the equivalent of the rank of Queen's Counsel in the United Kingdom, from which Nigeria became independent in 1960, as well as in South Australia, the Northern Territory, and Canada. Several countries use similar designations such as Senior Counsel, State Counsel, Senior Advocate, and President's Advocate. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria is said to have been admitted to the "Inner Bar", as distinguished from the "Outer", or "Utter", Bar, consisting of junior advocates.

The Judges of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom include the President, the Deputy President, and Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The Supreme Court is the highest in the whole of the United Kingdom for civil matters, and for criminal matters from the United Kingdom jurisdictions of England and Wales and Northern Ireland. Judges are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister, who receives recommendations from a selection commission. The number of judges is set by s.23(2) Constitutional Reform Act 2005, which established the Court, but may be increased by the Queen through an Order in Council under s.23(3). There are currently 12 positions: one President, one Deputy President, and 10 Justices. Judges of the Court who are not already peers are granted the style Lord or Lady for life.

The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is an honorific style that is used before the names of certain classes of people.

References


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