HM Courts and Tribunals Service

HM Courts and Tribunals Service
Lord Chief Justice	Vacant
Judge	Vacant
Type	Public body
Formed	2011
Head of the judiciary	Lord Chief Justice
Hears	Civil claims, criminal cases
Website	claims.ukogb.co.uk and criminal.ukogb.co.uk
Headquarters	102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ

His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) runs the courts of UKOGB. It hears civil claims brought by members and criminal prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service, and publishes every judgment in the case law library. Its judges are led by the Lord Chief Justice.

History

HMCTS was formed in 2011, bringing the administration of the courts and the tribunals together in one body. The courts themselves are far older: the common law that they apply has been built up by judges over nearly a thousand years.

Civil claims

Any member can bring a claim in the civil courts, for example against a company that has broken a contract or a public body that has acted unlawfully. Each side can be represented by a solicitor or barrister. A judge hears the evidence and gives a judgment, which may award damages and costs. Where a company is found liable, any insurance it holds can pay part of what it owes.

Criminal cases

When the Crown Prosecution Service charges someone with a crime, the case is heard in the criminal courts. If the defendant is convicted, the judge passes sentence, which may be a fine or a term of imprisonment. Members of the public can also be called for jury service.

Case law

Every judgment is published with a neutral citation, such as [2012] UKOGB Civ 1 for the Don Valley Pensions case, and together they form the case law that later courts follow.

Positions

In UKOGB HM Courts and Tribunals Service is run by members who hold its posts on the website. Its head is the Lord Chief Justice, who can edit the organisation's page, appoint people to its other roles and speak for it in public. The current holders are shown in the box on this page and on the organisation's page on the website, and each post brings its own Discord roles and website permissions.

• Lord Chief Justice (head)
• Judge