The Commonwealth Judicial Service is a constituent organisation of the Mandatory Services.
| Commonwealth Judicial Service | |
|---|---|
| Mandatory service of the Commonwealth | |
| Authority | Judicial Service Board, Parliament of Law |
| Cadres | Republic, circuit and Territories cadres |
| Established | 1984 |
| Mandate | *Republic Legal Standards* commission |
The Commonwealth Judicial Service is the mandatory service of judges in the Commonwealth. Every republic court has at least one magistrate from the service, and the larger courts have several. Its cadre authority is the Parliament of Law.
Although the republic courts are part of the federal system, each still hears cases in the law and language of its republic. Magistrates hear most civil and criminal cases in the republic courts, the judges of the Regional Appeal Courts hear appeals from them, and the justices of the Supreme Constitutional Court rule on the constitutionality of laws and on disputes between the federal government and the republics. Officers of the service also sit on all of these benches, from the municipal heliaea upwards.
The service has three cadres, for the republic courts, the circuit and the federal courts. The republic magistracies were appointed separately by each republic until they were merged under the Republic Legal Standards commission in 1984. The circuit cadre keeps its own registry at the circuit offices of the Bureau of Courts in Sal. Officers of the Commonwealth Legal Service of some years’ standing may be appointed to the bench, but cannot return to the Legal Service.