In October, the system for complaining about a Judge will change as the Judicial Conduct and Investigations Office will come into place.
It is hoped complaints will be dealt with more quickly.
The law being introduced allows the most senior Judge to suspend Judges who face or have been convicted of criminal proceedings.
He can also deal with misconduct by Judges. What “misconduct” covers is unclear but it does not include decisions made when carrying out their duties as a Judge. If you are unhappy with a decision of a Judge in your case, you can apply to change the terms of an order or appeal a decision at trial. Complaining about a Judge and complaining about a Judge’s decision are two separate matters.
The new Office could however, cover how Judges carry out their job. So a Judge who delays carrying out his work or perhaps fails to follow the proper steps, could be sanctioned by the senior Judge.
It will be interesting to see how many complaints are made once the Office is in place.
By Small Claims Court Genie