How are judges chosen?
There are four broad answers. In civil-law countries most judges are career officials: they pass a competitive exam or judicial school soon after law school and are promoted within the judiciary. In common-law countries judges are usually appointed from among experienced lawyers, often on the advice of a judicial commission. A few countries elect judges, and in one-party states judges are appointed under party control. Most real systems mix these, so the map shows the main route to the ordinary courts.
Updated November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Do judges rise through a career judiciary, join the bench from the bar, or face the voters?
Career judges (84)
Appointed from experienced lawyers (53)
Both routes (6)
Elected by voters or by parliament (4)
Appointed under single-party control (5)
Appointed from religious-law scholars (3)
Read this before you quote the map
- The map shows the main route to the ordinary courts. Constitutional courts, supreme courts and specialised courts are often chosen differently, for instance by parliament.
- Most systems are mixed in practice. 'Career' countries sometimes appoint lawyers or professors to high courts, and 'lawyers' countries run a judicial service for magistrates.
- Electing judges and appointing them are both compatible with independent courts; the map describes the method, not the quality of the judiciary.
- Only countries we are sure about are coloured.
Sources
Cite this map
TheLawToKnow Tools. Legal World Maps: How are judges chosen?. https://tools.thelawtoknow.com/legal-world-maps/how-judges-are-chosen. Checked November 2026.
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