The roll of a judge is similar to that of a referee - Essay Example

In a game, the referee controls the proceedings, making sure that the players follow all the rules of the game, and that they play it within the scope and gamut of the rules. Similarly, in court proceedings a judge plays the pivotal role of applying and interpreting the laws and resolving disputes arising under them. Thus, it can be stated that the role of a judge is similar to that of a referee. Every game has a set of rules, which dictates how the game will be played. When it is being played between two different players or teams, disputes may arise.

Therefore, someone has to supervise the game and intervene when a rule is broken, to ensure that it is played in a fair manner and the participants follow stipulated rules. The judge functions in a similar way under the judicial system to ensure that the laws are followed and justice is served to the parties involved without bias and prejudices. It is incumbent upon both the judge and the referee that they avoid discrimination, and promote equality. In order to be effective in their roles both have to possess an in-depth knowledge of the relevant rules and should be in a position to explain the rules if questioned.

This makes the role of a judge comparable to that of a referee because they judge a game in the context of the rules governing it and assess penalties or award punishments for violations. In order for a judge to be effective in his role of safeguarding justice he should be able to act independently outside of any influences so that he can carry out the verdict within the limits of the law, and hand down a judgment that meets the ends of natural justice. The Constitution of every democratic country recognizes the independence of judges by guaranteeing them liberty to take decisions and making the judicial branch as a separate entity distinct from other branches of the government.

Judges interpret laws and make decisions but they don’t impose their