QUEEN'S ROLE IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

The task of administering justice in the UK is carried out by members of a judiciary acting in The Queen's name.

The Queen does not herself judge any case nor does she play any part in the judicial process.

But she has a symbolic role. By the coronation oath, and by common law and various statutes, the Sovereign is required to cause law and justice with mercy to be administered to all. In the United Kingdom, all jurisdiction therefore derives from the Crown.

The courts are The Queen's courts; the judges are Her Majesty's judges and derive their authority from the Crown; criminal prosecutions are brought in the name of the Sovereign against those charged; the prisons are Her Majesty's Prisons. In previous decades prisoners used to be detained 'at Her Majesty's pleasure'.

In the area of law, as in her other public actions, The Queen acts solely on the advice of her Ministers. For example, although The Queen appoints senior judges, she does so on the advice of the Prime Minister.

The Queen also exercises the prerogative of mercy, by which the Sovereign may, for example, grant free or conditional pardons or remit penalties, on the advice of her Ministers.