View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
January 7, 2008

Should Straw call time on old-fashioned judge names?

By Patrick

The antiquated terms of address for court judges should be dropped according The Guardian’s legal columnist Marcel Berlins.

Reporters across the country in all forms of media have to learn the difference between the Mr Justice, Mrs Justice, Lord and Lady suffixes. In Scotland High Court judges are addressed as “Lord…” despite them having no link to the house of Lords.

The Lord Chancellor Jack should, says Berlins, “take the hint and abolish these unnecessary accoutrements, whose only function is to preserve the general populace’s lack of understanding of the judiciary”.

Their abolishment would no doubt also make court reporters’ jobs a little bit easier.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network