Puisne Justice
Encyclopedia
A Puisne Justice or Puisne Judge (icon; French: puisné or puîné, "junior") is the title for a regular member of a Court. This is distinguished from the head of the Court who is known as the Chief Justice
or Chief Judge. The term is used almost exclusively in common law
jurisdictions such as England
, Australia
, Kenya
, Canada
, Sri Lanka
, India
, and formerly in Hong Kong
. Generally, the term is only used in relation to judges of a superior court, e.g., the Supreme Court or the High Court of a jurisdiction.
The equivalent term in the United States is Associate Justice
.
The equivalent term in Scotland (which, although part of the UK, has a separate legal system) is Lord Ordinary
.
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
or Chief Judge. The term is used almost exclusively in common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
jurisdictions such as England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and formerly in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Generally, the term is only used in relation to judges of a superior court, e.g., the Supreme Court or the High Court of a jurisdiction.
The equivalent term in the United States is Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
.
The equivalent term in Scotland (which, although part of the UK, has a separate legal system) is Lord Ordinary
Lord Ordinary
Lord Ordinary is a term used to describe any judge in the Outer House of the Scottish Court of Session....
.