From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A cartoon of a judge (right) giving a punishment to a man (left)Japanese judges in the 1930s
Ajudge is a person who is in control of acourt oflaw.
The way to become a judge depends on each country. In some countries, judges must work with the law (often as alawyer) for a number of years before they can "sit as a judge" in acourthouse. Judges are supposed to conduct the trial in an open courtroom andimpartially.
In many English speaking countries, judges cannot make some decisions on their own. In these countries,juries are used, but not for all cases. The modern jury trial first developed in mid-12th centuryEngland during the reign ofHenry II.[1] Today, the details differ between one country and another.
If there is a jury, the judge has the job of making sure the person taken to court is treated in a fair way. Some courts will have more than one judge. For important decisions about the laws of acountry, countries may have asupreme court orhigh court with many (nine or more) judges in it. In theUnited States, judges on a supreme court are calledjustices and are led by aChief Justice.
In many countries, judges wear special clothes while being in court. Often this is a blackrobe or cloak. Supreme or High Court judges often wear a red cloak. Judges in some countries also wear a special long wig. They also used to put a piece of black material on their head when they sentenced a person to die.
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