Court Room Etiquette
You need to be familiar with the etiquette of the court you are appearing before, such as the correct way to address the court, your opponent and witnesses. The following details the ways you should address the bench, the other side and witnesses:-
Addressing the Bench
You should address members of the bench in the following ways:
- A Bench of lay magistrates should be addressed as ‘Your worships’ or ‘Sir/Madam and your colleagues’.
- A circuit judge/recorder should be referred to as ‘Your Honour’
- A district judge of the High Court and County Court should be addressed as ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’
- A master of the Supreme Court or a taxing master should be addressed as ‘Master’
Addressing the other side
If the person representing the other party is a Barrister you should refer to them as ‘my learned friend’. If the other party is represented by a solicitor you should refer to them as ‘My friend’. If the other party is acting as a litigant in person you should refer to them as ‘the claimant/defendant’ or ‘Mr/Mrs/Miss …….’.
Addressing witnesses
You should address witnesses directly as ‘Mr/Mrs/Miss ….. etc’. If the witness is a child they should be addressed by their forename.
Updated 12 March 2026
This article remains broadly accurate as a general guide to courtroom etiquette. However, several points merit updating.
The article refers to a ‘district judge of the High Court and County Court’ as a single category addressed as ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’. In practice, District Judges (Magistrates’ Courts) are also addressed as ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’, and it is worth noting the distinction between District Judges sitting in the County Court or High Court and those sitting in the magistrates’ court.
The reference to a ‘Master of the Supreme Court’ is now outdated in terminology. Following the Courts Act 2003 and subsequent practice directions, Masters sitting in the King’s Bench Division and Chancery Division of the High Court are still addressed as ‘Master’, but the title ‘Master of the Supreme Court’ is no longer in common official use; they are now simply referred to as Masters of the Senior Courts. The article’s practical guidance (address them as ‘Master’) remains correct in effect.
The article does not mention High Court judges (addressed as ‘My Lord’ or ‘My Lady’) or Justices of the UK Supreme Court (addressed as ‘My Lord’ or ‘My Lady’), nor Court of Appeal judges (Lord/Lady Justices of Appeal, addressed as ‘My Lord’ or ‘My Lady’). For a fuller picture, readers should consult the judiciary’s own guidance on forms of address, available at judiciary.gov.uk.
The guidance on addressing opponents and witnesses reflects established convention and remains accurate.
