C ommo nwe a l t h memb e r c o u n t r i e s Judicial system Supreme court: Supreme Court Ministry: Justice The Scottish legal system has evolved independently of the rest of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom Supreme Court is the final court of appeal in civil matters for the whole of the UK, and in criminal matters everywhere except Scotland. In England and Wales, the High Court of Justice has three divisions – Chancery, Queen’s Bench and Family – that deal with certain more complex civil cases, while the county courts try the majority of civil cases. The Crown Court has jurisdiction in the most serious criminal cases providing trial by jury; and it sits in a number of locations in England and Wales. One of London’s Crown Courts is the Central Criminal Court, ‘the Old Bailey’. The magistrates’ courts in England and Wales deal with nearly all criminal cases in the first instance, and a very small proportion of those are referred to the Crown Court for trial. Most magistrates are unpaid lay people. The Northern Irish judicial system broadly mirrors that in England and Wales, with its own High Court, Crown Court, county courts and magistrates’ courts. In Scotland, the High Court of Justiciary is the final court of appeal for criminal cases and it tries the most serious criminal cases before a judge and jury. It hears appeals in Edinburgh while it sits at the first instance in a number of locations across Scotland. Other criminal cases are dealt with by the sheriff courts, presided over by a sheriff and, in some instances, a jury, and sitting in 49 locations. The least serious criminal cases come in the first instance before the justice of the peace courts. The Court of Session is Scotland’s highest civil court, both dealing with the most serious civil cases (occasionally with a jury), and hearing appeals from the sheriff courts, which also have unlimited jurisdiction in civil cases. Appeals from the Court of Session may go to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Government and politics Last elections: May 2010 Next elections: 2015 Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II Head of Government: Prime Minister David Cameron Ruling party: coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats In the hard-fought May 2005 general election, the ruling Labour Party, led by Tony Blair, won fewer seats (356) than in 2001, and received a reduced share of the votes (35.2 per cent); while both the Conservatives (with 197 seats and 32.3 per cent) and the Liberal Democrats (with 62 seats and 22.0 per cent) made gains. At 61.3 per cent, voter turnout was only two per cent higher than in 2001 and this was mainly due to an increase in postal voting. In December 2005 Shadow Education Minister David Cameron became Conservative Party leader. In June 2007 Prime Minister Blair was succeeded as Labour Party leader and Prime Minister by Gordon Brown, who was the only candidate. In the May 2010 election, the Conservative Party won 306 of the 649 seats contested (voting in one constituency was postponed following the death of a candidate) and 36.1 per cent of votes, but failed to secure a parliamentary majority; the Labour Party took 258 seats (29.0 per cent) and the Liberal Democrats 57 (23.0 per cent). The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed a coalition with Cameron as Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg as Deputy Prime Minister; it was the country’s first full coalition government in 65 years. Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 298 Governance institutions Electoral Commission: www.electoralcommission.org.uk UK Parliament: www.parliament.uk Supreme Court: www.supremecourt.gov.uk Financial Ombudsman Service: www.financialombudsman. org.uk Local Government Ombudsman: www.lgo.org.uk Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman: www.ombudsman.org.uk Prime Minister’s Office: www.number10.gov.uk Cabinet Office: www.cabinet-office.gov.uk Ministry of Justice: www.justice.gov.uk Department for Communities and Local Government: www.communities.gov.uk HM Treasury: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: www.bis.gov.uk Convention of Scottish Local Authorities: www.cosla.gov.uk Local Government Association: www.lga.gov.uk Northern Ireland Local Government Association: www.nilga.org Welsh Local Government Association: www.wlga.gov.uk Bank of England: www.bankofengland.co.uk London Stock Exchange: www.londonstockexchange.com British Standards Institution: www.bsigroup.com Competition Commission: www.competitioncommission. org.uk Financial Conduct Authority: www.fca.org.uk Ofcom (communications regulator): www.ofcom.org.uk
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