ABSTRACT
This chapter describes key structural and organisational features of judicial work at different court levels, involving varied participants, tasks and case types. A range of structural factors drives many of the emotional aspects of the work for the judicial officer and for other participants. Much everyday judicial work in all courts depends on the actions of others, such as parties, police or legal representatives. A significant factor for all participants is the courtroom and courthouse design, and related formality or lack thereof. UK research, drawing on interviews with court participants, identifies many emotions experienced by criminal defendants. Understanding different court contexts is integral to understanding the capacities for and constraints on emotion and the ways judging and emotion are experienced, performed and displayed. Judicial officers presiding in these kinds of matters also face high case volume and time pressure, evidence of violent and traumatic events and limited legal representation.
