Main article: Circuits of England and Wales
Each circuit judge is assigned to a court circuit. There are six in England and Wales, namely the Midland, Northern, North Eastern, South Eastern and Western circuits, and the Wales and Chester circuit. Despite the name, Chester is a part of the Northern Circuit for administrative purposes.7
When hearing criminal cases, circuit judges wear a violet robe with lilac trim, bands, a short horsehair wig and a red tippet (sash) over the left shoulder. For civil cases they wear the same robe with a lilac sash, but neither bands nor wigs are worn. When sitting at the Old Bailey, and for some types of High Court work, circuit judges wear a black silk gown over a court coat or a waistcoat.8 On ceremonial occasions they wear violet robes with a lilac trim and a full-bottomed wig.
Some circuit judges are appointed as senior circuit judges and take on additional responsibility, such as the running of the largest court centres.9
Some Crown Courts will appoint judges as 'resident judges', who will only hear cases at that court and act as the senior judge.10 This is often accompanied with an honorary recorder title.11
In Rumpole and the Reign of Terror by John Mortimer, Horace Rumpole dismisses the idea of being a circuit judge: "Circus judge is what I call them."12
section 44 Courts Act 1971 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/23/section/44/enacted http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/23/section/44/enacted ↩
"In Pictures: Court room makeover". BBC News. Retrieved 16 October 2013. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/03/uk_court_room_makeover/html/4.stm ↩
Courts Act 1971, s.16(3)(a) /wiki/Courts_Act_1971 ↩
"Increasing Diversity in the Judiciary". Department for Constitutional Affairs. October 2004. Retrieved 5 March 2008. CP 25/04 http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/judiciary/diversitycp25-04.htm ↩
"Explanatory Notes to Tribunals, Courts And Enforcement Act 2007". Office of Public Service Information. 2007. Archived from the original on 21 February 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2008. paras.281-316 https://web.archive.org/web/20090221000105/http://www.england-legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2007/en/07en15-d.htm ↩
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, s.50/ Sch.10, Pt.1.13 /wiki/Tribunals,_Courts_and_Enforcement_Act_2007 ↩
"Circuits of England & Wales". www.barcouncil.org.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2023. https://www.barcouncil.org.uk/about/about-the-bar/circuits-of-england-wales.html ↩
"Court Dress - Examples". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150103071115/http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/about-the-judiciary/court-dress/examples/ ↩
"Circuit judges". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Retrieved 17 July 2023. https://www.judiciary.uk/about-the-judiciary/who-are-the-judiciary/judges/circuit-judge/ ↩
"Resident Judges". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Retrieved 17 July 2023. https://www.judiciary.uk/about-the-judiciary/who-are-the-judiciary/leadership-judges/resident-judges/ ↩
"Programme of Ordinary Meetings" (PDF). democracy.gloucester.gov.uk. https://democracy.gloucester.gov.uk/documents/s45518/Appointment%20of%20Honorary%20Recorder%20Report.pdf ↩
Mortimer, John (2007). Rumpole and the Reign of Terror. Penguin UK. ISBN 9780141025704. 9780141025704 ↩