A cartoon of a judge (right) giving a punishment to a man (left)

Japanese judges in the 1930s

A judge is a person who is in control of a court of law.

The way to become a judge depends on each country. In some countries, judges must work with the law (often as a lawyer) for a number of years before they can "sit as a judge" in a courthouse. Judges are supposed to conduct the trial in an open courtroom and impartially.