Circuits (seven eight formerly), certain divisions of England and Wales, appointed for the judges to go formerly twice a year, in the respective vacations after Hilary and Trinity terms, but more recently oftener, and at no precisely fixed periods, to administer justice in the several counties. Two judges, until 1884, attended at each circuit town, when by a new scheme set on foot by the 'Circuits Order' of that year it was arranged that at the majority of the circuit towns one judge only should attend, with the power, however, under Rule 9 of the Order, of requesting one of the judges in London to proceed to any place on circuit in his aid 'in order to enable the judges, as far as possible, to leve no cause untried at any place on any circuit.' The following were the circuits as altered by Order in Council made pursuant to 26 & 27 Vict. c. 122, viz.: (1) Northern; (2) Home; (3) Western; (4) Oxford; (5) Midland; (6) Norfolk; (7) North Wales; and South Wales.
By the (English) Judicature Act, 1875, s. 22, replaced by Judicature Act 1925, s. 72, it is provided that
by Order in Council regulations may be made for the circuits, altering their arrangement and discontinuing any assizes, etc. The circuits and a size towns throughout England are regulated periodically by Orders in Council.
(1) Northern Circuit: Counties of Westmoreland, Cumberland, and Lancaster.
(2) North-Eastern Circuit: Counties of Northumber-land, Durham, and York, and counties of the town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and city of York.
(3) Midland Circuit: Counties of Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby, Warwick, Leicester, Northampton, Rutland, Buckingham, and Bedford; the counties of the cityof Lincoln and town of Nottingham; the borough of Leicester; and the city of Birmingham.
(4) South-Eastern Circuit: Counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Huntingdon, Cambridge, Hertford, Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex; and county of the city of Norfolk.
(5) Oxford Circuit: Counties of Berks, Oxford, Worcester, Stafford, Salop, Hereford, Monmouth, Gloucester; and counties of the cities of Worcester and Gloucester and the city of Birmingham.
(6) Western Circuit: Counties of Southampton, Wilts, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset; and counties of the cities of Exeter and Bristol.
(7) North and South Wales Circuit: (a) North Wales Division--Counties of Montgomery, Merioneth, Carnarvon, Anglesea, Denbigh, Flint, and Chester. (b) South Wales Division'Counties of Glamorgan, Carmarthen, Pembroke, Cardigan, Brecknock, and Radnor; and counties of the borough of Carmarthen and town of Haverfordwest.
The places, and also as far as it may be, the days for holding assizes, and various other regulations as to circuits, are from time to time altered by Orders in Council. By Order in Council of 2nd August, 1910 (amending an order of June 28, 1909), continuous sittings are established for civil business at Manchester and Liverpool, a judge of the K.B.D. being assigned for the purpose. Consequently one circuit judge instead of two now attends at these places and takes the criminal business. But it is provided that the assigned judge is as far as possible to sit at those cities during the whole time that the judge taking criminal business is sitting there. The Circuit Order in Council, 1930, substituted Kingston-on-Thames for Guildford as the Surrey Assize town, and also made provisions for civil business to be taken on the Autumn Circuit at Carlisle, Gloucester, Leicester, Maidstone, Nottingham, Shrewsbury and Winchester. See ASSIZES, and Ency. of the Laws of England. The County Court circuits, at present 59 in number, are divisions of the country for the purposes of the County Court (q.v.).
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