... judges have statutes which they interpret and case law where the precedents of superior courts are followed. With this directive, a judge is responsible for conducting both civil and criminal trials within the courts. In civil trials they are responsible for determining the outcome of the case and allocating damages to a successful claimant. (An exception of this is in cases of malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, libel and slander.) Within a criminal trial, a Judge must consider and direct both prosecution and defence counsel on matters of law and decide on the admissibility of evidence. At the conclusion of the trial a judge must also look hard at all the evidence put before the jury and précis it in a concise and objective manner for them in his summing up before sending them out to deliberate a verdict. On a finding of guilt a judge is expected to pass a fair sentence ...

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