A recent notice published by the Lord Chief Justice and Senior President of Tribunals has announced that certain Judges are no longer to be addressed as ‘Sir/Madam’ but simply as ‘Judge’.
Lord Burnett of Maldon, who is the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and Sir Keith Lindblom, Senior President of Tribunals stated that “The move away from ‘sir or madam’ involves modern and simple terminology, reflecting the important judicial role whilst maintaining the necessary degree of respect.”
The following Judges will in the future be addressed as Judge in Court or Tribunal hearings:
- Masters
- Upper Tribunal Judges
- Judges of the Employment Appeal Tribunal
- District Judges
- District Judges (Magistrates Courts)
- First-Tier Tribunal Judges
- Employment Judges
However, the change does not affect judicial titles, which “have a basis in statute, or the way in which judges record their decisions.” Furthermore, in the tribunals non-legal members should continue to be addressed as ‘sir or madam’.
When questioned whether the changes were being made due to incidents or complaints of misgendering, a spokesperson for the Judicial Office told The Telegraph: “The change has been made for the reasons given, for simple and modern terminology. Not due to misgendering.”
The full message can be found here.
