Judge Niles
Encyclopedia
Judge Rog Niles is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd
comic strip in British comic 2000 AD
. He first appeared in 2000 AD prog 706 (1990). He is the head of the Public Surveillance Unit
(PSU). Before that he was head of the Special Judicial Squad (SJS) for ten years.
Niles was already an experienced judge by the time he was appointed head of the SJS – Justice Department's internal affairs department – by Chief Judge McGruder
in 2112. In that role he was responsible for ensuring that all of Mega-City One's judges met the highest standards of behaviour, competence and judgement. Yet when the Chief Judge
herself began to exhibit increasingly poor judgement and erratic behaviour, he was powerless to intervene by himself, as by abolishing the Council of Five
in 2112 she had removed the only constitutional way of holding her to account. Instead he was forced to resort to underhand means. In 2116 he conspired with Judge Hershey
and others to remove McGruder from office by force. However when the conspirators tried to recruit Judge Dredd
's support, Dredd refused to cooperate, firmly declaring that he would not support a coup d'état. Anticipating Dredd's reluctance, Niles had come prepared: he informed Dredd of the location of a secret research facility in which McGruder was covertly developing a new production line of robot judges
. Niles knew that Dredd believed the robot judge programme to be strong evidence of McGruder's deteriorating judgement, and that Dredd thought that the programme had been discontinued. Once Dredd had discovered the truth, Dredd agreed to join Niles and the others in a delegation to demand the Chief Judge's resignation. Although this step failed badly, it nevertheless set in motion a long chain of events which eventually did result in McGruder's resignation. In this indirect way Niles was therefore instrumental in bringing about McGruder's departure from office.
In the following year (2117) Niles was the only judge on the Council to vote against Chief Judge Volt's
sweeping political reforms. However Volt kept him on the Council.
, the head of the PSU, in serious crimes. Hershey immediately had Edgar arrested, and appointed Niles to replace her as head of PSU. However after the Council of Five heard Edgar speak in her defence, Niles joined the majority in voting for her acquittal
. Nevertheless, she was not reinstated as head of the PSU, where Niles remained in charge for the next ten years. Invited by Hershey to nominate his successor as head of SJS, Niles chose Judge Buell
, and his recommendation was accepted.
By 2122 Niles was the longest-serving incumbent
member of the Council, and thus presumably the most senior judge after the chief judge. (However it was never stated in the comic strip whether he was appointed deputy chief judge.) As head of the Public Surveillance Unit he was one of the most powerful men in Mega-City One
, as he had detailed information on everyone in the city and almost everything that happened. Fortunately, he was always loyal to the chief judge, and Judge Dredd has usually been able to count on him for support, to the extent that when Dredd threatened to resign unless the Council voted to abolish mutant apartheid
, Niles voted against his conscience to keep Dredd on the force.
The change in the city's policy towards mutants was to cost Niles his seat on the Council, however. In 2131 Chief Judge Hershey was voted out of office as a result of widespread opposition to mutant rights, and new Chief Judge Francisco
requested the resignation of the entire Council. In the following year his successor, Chief Judge Sinfield
, removed Niles from the PSU. Niles responded by recruiting Dredd to run against Sinfield in another election and running Dredd's campaign, albeit on a platform of lesser mutant rights than Dredd had originally supported. When the election was aborted and Francisco returned to office, Francisco reappointed Niles to the Council and to the PSU.
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
comic strip in British comic 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
. He first appeared in 2000 AD prog 706 (1990). He is the head of the Public Surveillance Unit
Public Surveillance Unit
The Public Surveillance Unit or PSU is a fictional institution in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. It was introduced in progs 954 and 959 . Notable PSU characters in the comic strip are Judge Niles, its chief, and Judge Roffman, who frequently assists Judge Dredd in surveillance, espionage...
(PSU). Before that he was head of the Special Judicial Squad (SJS) for ten years.
Head of SJS
JudgeJudge (2000 AD)
Judge is a title held by several significant characters in the Judge Dredd series, which appears in the British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine...
Niles was already an experienced judge by the time he was appointed head of the SJS – Justice Department's internal affairs department – by Chief Judge McGruder
Judge McGruder
Chief Judge Hilda Margaret McGruder is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. She was the first female Chief Judge of Mega-City One, and the first Judge of Mega-City One to become Chief Judge twice...
in 2112. In that role he was responsible for ensuring that all of Mega-City One's judges met the highest standards of behaviour, competence and judgement. Yet when the Chief Judge
Chief Judge of Mega-City One
Chief Judge of Mega-City One is the title of several supporting characters in the Judge Dredd comic strip published in 2000 AD. The chief judge is dictator and head of state of Mega-City One, a fictional future city of around 400 million people in 22nd-century America...
herself began to exhibit increasingly poor judgement and erratic behaviour, he was powerless to intervene by himself, as by abolishing the Council of Five
Council of Five
The Council of Five is a fictional legislature and court in the Judge Dredd comic strip appearing in 2000 AD. It first appeared in 2000 AD prog 86 ....
in 2112 she had removed the only constitutional way of holding her to account. Instead he was forced to resort to underhand means. In 2116 he conspired with Judge Hershey
Judge Hershey
Judge Barbara Hershey is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd series that appears in British comic 2000 AD. For nearly two decades she regularly appeared as Dredd's sidekick, before being promoted to become his superior: she was chief judge for nine years...
and others to remove McGruder from office by force. However when the conspirators tried to recruit Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
's support, Dredd refused to cooperate, firmly declaring that he would not support a coup d'état. Anticipating Dredd's reluctance, Niles had come prepared: he informed Dredd of the location of a secret research facility in which McGruder was covertly developing a new production line of robot judges
Mechanismo
Mechanismo is the title of a Judge Dredd story published in the British comic Judge Dredd Megazine in 1992. It was the first story in a series of stories published over the next two years in both the Megazine and 2000 AD, most notably the epic "Wilderlands." The stories concern the Mechanismo...
. Niles knew that Dredd believed the robot judge programme to be strong evidence of McGruder's deteriorating judgement, and that Dredd thought that the programme had been discontinued. Once Dredd had discovered the truth, Dredd agreed to join Niles and the others in a delegation to demand the Chief Judge's resignation. Although this step failed badly, it nevertheless set in motion a long chain of events which eventually did result in McGruder's resignation. In this indirect way Niles was therefore instrumental in bringing about McGruder's departure from office.
Council of Five
When McGruder resigned there was no Council of Five to choose a new chief judge. She therefore appointed an Interim Council of three judges to oversee the transition of power. Niles was a member of this council, and when the new chief judge was elected he appointed Niles to the new Council of Five. Niles himself had declined to run for the city's highest office.In the following year (2117) Niles was the only judge on the Council to vote against Chief Judge Volt's
Judge Volt
Chief Judge Hadrian Volt is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was chief judge of Mega-City One between 2116 and 2121 .-Fictional character biography:...
sweeping political reforms. However Volt kept him on the Council.
Head of PSU
In 2122 Niles handed new Chief Judge Hershey evidence which implicated Judge EdgarJudge Edgar
Judge Jura Edgar is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. Although in most of her stories she is not evil or a murderer in the manner of most villains in the Judge Dredd series , she is nevertheless one of Dredd's adversaries...
, the head of the PSU, in serious crimes. Hershey immediately had Edgar arrested, and appointed Niles to replace her as head of PSU. However after the Council of Five heard Edgar speak in her defence, Niles joined the majority in voting for her acquittal
Acquittal
In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...
. Nevertheless, she was not reinstated as head of the PSU, where Niles remained in charge for the next ten years. Invited by Hershey to nominate his successor as head of SJS, Niles chose Judge Buell
Judge Buell
Judge Arthur Buell is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in British comic 2000 AD. He is the current head of the Special Judicial Squad, the Internal Affairs division of the Judges of Mega-City One....
, and his recommendation was accepted.
By 2122 Niles was the longest-serving incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
member of the Council, and thus presumably the most senior judge after the chief judge. (However it was never stated in the comic strip whether he was appointed deputy chief judge.) As head of the Public Surveillance Unit he was one of the most powerful men in Mega-City One
Mega-City One
Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of what is now the Eastern United States in the Judge Dredd comic book series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist has drawn the story...
, as he had detailed information on everyone in the city and almost everything that happened. Fortunately, he was always loyal to the chief judge, and Judge Dredd has usually been able to count on him for support, to the extent that when Dredd threatened to resign unless the Council voted to abolish mutant apartheid
Mutants (Judge Dredd)
Mutants are a recurring theme in the Judge Dredd science-fiction stories published in British comics 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine...
, Niles voted against his conscience to keep Dredd on the force.
The change in the city's policy towards mutants was to cost Niles his seat on the Council, however. In 2131 Chief Judge Hershey was voted out of office as a result of widespread opposition to mutant rights, and new Chief Judge Francisco
Judge Francisco
Chief Judge Dan Francisco is a fictional supporting character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He is chief judge of Mega-City One.-Fictional character biography:...
requested the resignation of the entire Council. In the following year his successor, Chief Judge Sinfield
Judge Sinfield
Judge Martin Sinfield is a fictional supporting character and antagonist in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD, most notably in the story "Tour of Duty"...
, removed Niles from the PSU. Niles responded by recruiting Dredd to run against Sinfield in another election and running Dredd's campaign, albeit on a platform of lesser mutant rights than Dredd had originally supported. When the election was aborted and Francisco returned to office, Francisco reappointed Niles to the Council and to the PSU.
Trivia
- Niles is the third black man in the comic strip to gain a seat on the Council of Five (in 1994), the previous ones being Judge Quimby (1980) and Chief Judge SilverJudge SilverChief Judge Thomas Silver was chief judge of the fictional city of Mega-City One in the Judge Dredd comic strip.-Fictional character biography:...
(1986).