Council of Five
Encyclopedia
The Council of Five is a fictional legislature
and court
in the Judge Dredd
comic strip appearing in 2000 AD
. It first appeared in 2000 AD
prog 86 (1978).
The Council is the highest lawmaking body of Mega-City One
and has sovereign
power. It is also the court which tries Mega-City judges
who are accused of breaking the law. A unanimous verdict is required to convict.
Members of the Council are appointed or dismissed by the chief judge
, currently Dan Francisco
. Until 2117 the chief judge chaired council meetings and had the right of veto
, and if the offices of chief judge and deputy chief judge were both vacant, the Council chose the new chief judge from among their number. However, in 2117, the constitution was changed, so that the chief judge is no longer a member of the Council but is now separate (it is not clear whether the chief judge's veto was preserved); however the chief judge may still attend meetings. The deputy chief judge now chairs meetings, unless the chief judge is present. The appointment of a deputy chief judge must have the consent of the Council. The chief judge is now elected by 1,200 senior judges, instead of being chosen by the Council. (See also the Chief Judge
article for additional details.)
The Council was created by Judge Goodman
when he became chief judge in 2057, initially as a guiding committee. In 2112, Chief Judge McGruder
suspended the Council and ruled alone. The Council was reinstated in 2116 by her successor, Judge Volt
.
Judge Dredd himself always declined a seat on the Council for most of his career, although he sat temporarily in a vacant seat for the trial of Judge Edgar
in 2122, to make up a quorum
. However in 2132 he finally consented to a permanent appointment.
As of 2011 (or 2133 in the comic), the current members are Judges Dredd, Niles
, Buell
, Stalker and Vass.
(1993–1995) still featured the Council during this period. To reconcile this apparent discrepancy, one of the books stated that the Council existed in a purely advisory capacity, with no executive power, and only sat intermittently, as and when required. It consisted of McGruder, Shenker, Hershey, and two others. The identities of the fourth and fifth members varied from book to book, as these characters were frequently killed off. (Since the books were written by four different authors, they were not always consistent with each other, and one book reprised a character a year after he had been killed off in another book.) None of these characters ever appeared in the comics.
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
and court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
in the Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
comic strip appearing in 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
. It first appeared in 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
prog 86 (1978).
The Council is the highest lawmaking body of Mega-City One
Mega-City One
Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of what is now the Eastern United States in the Judge Dredd comic book series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist has drawn the story...
and has sovereign
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
power. It is also the court which tries Mega-City judges
Judge (2000 AD)
Judge is a title held by several significant characters in the Judge Dredd series, which appears in the British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine...
who are accused of breaking the law. A unanimous verdict is required to convict.
Members of the Council are appointed or dismissed by the chief judge
Chief Judge of Mega-City One
Chief Judge of Mega-City One is the title of several supporting characters in the Judge Dredd comic strip published in 2000 AD. The chief judge is dictator and head of state of Mega-City One, a fictional future city of around 400 million people in 22nd-century America...
, currently Dan Francisco
Judge Francisco
Chief Judge Dan Francisco is a fictional supporting character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He is chief judge of Mega-City One.-Fictional character biography:...
. Until 2117 the chief judge chaired council meetings and had the right of veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
, and if the offices of chief judge and deputy chief judge were both vacant, the Council chose the new chief judge from among their number. However, in 2117, the constitution was changed, so that the chief judge is no longer a member of the Council but is now separate (it is not clear whether the chief judge's veto was preserved); however the chief judge may still attend meetings. The deputy chief judge now chairs meetings, unless the chief judge is present. The appointment of a deputy chief judge must have the consent of the Council. The chief judge is now elected by 1,200 senior judges, instead of being chosen by the Council. (See also the Chief Judge
Chief Judge of Mega-City One
Chief Judge of Mega-City One is the title of several supporting characters in the Judge Dredd comic strip published in 2000 AD. The chief judge is dictator and head of state of Mega-City One, a fictional future city of around 400 million people in 22nd-century America...
article for additional details.)
The Council was created by Judge Goodman
Judge Goodman
Chief Judge Clarence Goodman is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. He appeared in the first episode of Judge Dredd in March 1977 , and was the first regularly recurring supporting character.-Biography:Goodman was joint deputy chief judge at the...
when he became chief judge in 2057, initially as a guiding committee. In 2112, Chief Judge McGruder
Judge McGruder
Chief Judge Hilda Margaret McGruder is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. She was the first female Chief Judge of Mega-City One, and the first Judge of Mega-City One to become Chief Judge twice...
suspended the Council and ruled alone. The Council was reinstated in 2116 by her successor, Judge Volt
Judge Volt
Chief Judge Hadrian Volt is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was chief judge of Mega-City One between 2116 and 2121 .-Fictional character biography:...
.
Judge Dredd himself always declined a seat on the Council for most of his career, although he sat temporarily in a vacant seat for the trial of Judge Edgar
Judge Edgar
Judge Jura Edgar is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. Although in most of her stories she is not evil or a murderer in the manner of most villains in the Judge Dredd series , she is nevertheless one of Dredd's adversaries...
in 2122, to make up a quorum
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...
. However in 2132 he finally consented to a permanent appointment.
As of 2011 (or 2133 in the comic), the current members are Judges Dredd, Niles
Judge Niles
Judge Rog Niles is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in British comic 2000 AD. He first appeared in 2000 AD prog 706 . He is the head of the Public Surveillance Unit...
, Buell
Judge Buell
Judge Arthur Buell is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in British comic 2000 AD. He is the current head of the Special Judicial Squad, the Internal Affairs division of the Judges of Mega-City One....
, Stalker and Vass.
Alphabetical
| Name | Position held | Joined Council | Left Council |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benedetto | Unknown at time of joining Council | 2132 | Resigned, 2132 |
| Head of PSU Public Surveillance Unit The Public Surveillance Unit or PSU is a fictional institution in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. It was introduced in progs 954 and 959 . Notable PSU characters in the comic strip are Judge Niles, its chief, and Judge Roffman, who frequently assists Judge Dredd in surveillance, espionage... (appointed after joining Council) |
|||
| Benitez | Joint head of Forensics | 2131 | Resigned, 2132 |
| Buell Judge Buell Judge Arthur Buell is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in British comic 2000 AD. He is the current head of the Special Judicial Squad, the Internal Affairs division of the Judges of Mega-City One.... |
Head of SJS | 2123 | Resigned, 2131 |
| 2132 | Incumbent | ||
| Brufen | Head of Tek-Division | 2108 | Assassinated, 2110 |
| Cardew | Unknown before 2132 | 2131 | Resigned, 2132 |
| Deputy Chief Judge (2132) | |||
| Creed | Street judge Judge (2000 AD) Judge is a title held by several significant characters in the Judge Dredd series, which appears in the British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine... |
2104 | Dismissed, 2108 |
| Dredd Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner... |
Street judge | 2122 | Served only one day |
| 2132 | Incumbent | ||
| Ecks | Head of Psi Division Psi Division Psi-Division is a fictional organisation in the Judge Dredd and Anderson: Psi-Division comic strips in 2000 AD and Judge Dredd: The Megazine. It is the branch of Mega-City One's Justice Department that deals in supernatural phenomena, using Judges with psychic abilities. Psi-Judges are often... |
2101 | Killed in Apocalypse War Apocalypse War The Apocalypse War is a storyline from the comic strip Judge Dredd, first published in British comic 2000 AD in 1982. A sequel to the story "Block Mania", it was written by John Wagner and Alan Grant and illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra... , 2104 |
| Griffin Judge Griffin Chief Judge Griffin is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was chief judge of Mega-City One between 2101 and 2104.-Fictional character biography :... |
Chief Judge Chief Judge of Mega-City One Chief Judge of Mega-City One is the title of several supporting characters in the Judge Dredd comic strip published in 2000 AD. The chief judge is dictator and head of state of Mega-City One, a fictional future city of around 400 million people in 22nd-century America... (2101–2104) |
2101 | Assassinated, 2104 |
| Grimlet | Street judge | 2108 | Killed in action, 2112 |
| Herpert | Street judge | 2104 | Dismissed, 2108 |
| Herriman | Deputy Chief Judge | 2116 | Assassinated, 2120 |
| Hershey Judge Hershey Judge Barbara Hershey is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd series that appears in British comic 2000 AD. For nearly two decades she regularly appeared as Dredd's sidekick, before being promoted to become his superior: she was chief judge for nine years... |
Street judge until 2120 | 2108 | Elected chief judge, 2122 |
| Deputy Chief Judge (2120–2122) | |||
| Chief Judge (2122–2131) | |||
| Hollister | Undercover judge | 2123 | Resigned, 2131 |
| McGruder Judge McGruder Chief Judge Hilda Margaret McGruder is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. She was the first female Chief Judge of Mega-City One, and the first Judge of Mega-City One to become Chief Judge twice... |
Head of SJS until 2104 | 2101 | Resigned 2108 |
| Chief Judge after 2104 | |||
| Chief Judge (2112–2116) | Council suspended | Council restored 2116 | |
| McTighe | Head of Tek-Division | 2120 | Resigned, 2131 |
| Millan | Unknown | 2131 | Resigned, 2132 |
| Niles Judge Niles Judge Rog Niles is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in British comic 2000 AD. He first appeared in 2000 AD prog 706 . He is the head of the Public Surveillance Unit... |
Head of SJS until 2122 | 2116 | Resigned, 2131 |
| Head of PSU Public Surveillance Unit The Public Surveillance Unit or PSU is a fictional institution in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. It was introduced in progs 954 and 959 . Notable PSU characters in the comic strip are Judge Niles, its chief, and Judge Roffman, who frequently assists Judge Dredd in surveillance, espionage... after 2122 |
|||
| Head of PSU | 2132 | Incumbent | |
| Odell | Tutor at Academy of Law Academy of Law The Academy of Law is a fictional place of learning appearing in the Judge Dredd series that appears in the British comic 2000 AD.-Fictional history:The Academy of Law is where the Judges of Mega-City One are trained... |
2110 | Suicide, 2112 |
| Omar | Head of Psi Division | 2104 | Killed in action, 2108 |
| Pepper | Deputy Chief Judge | 2101 | Assassinated, 2103 |
| Quimby | Head of Accounts | 2101 | Killed in Apocalypse War, 2104 |
| Ramos | Street judge | 2117 | Arrested, 2130 |
| Renbow | Head of Tek-Division | 2104 | Dismissed, 2108 |
| Rolf | Unknown | 2132 | Resigned, 2132 |
| Shenker Judge Shenker Judge Shenker is a fictional supporting character in the Judge Dredd and Anderson, Psi Division comic strips in British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine. He is the head of Psi Division... |
Head of Psi Division | 2108 | Resigned, 2122 |
| Sherman | Unknown | 2132 | Resigned, 2132 |
| Silver Judge Silver Chief Judge Thomas Silver was chief judge of the fictional city of Mega-City One in the Judge Dredd comic strip.-Fictional character biography:... |
Chief Judge (2108–2112) | 2108 | Assassinated, 2112 |
| Sinfield Judge Sinfield Judge Martin Sinfield is a fictional supporting character and antagonist in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD, most notably in the story "Tour of Duty"... |
Deputy Chief Judge | 2131 | Became chief judge, 2132 |
| Chief Judge (2132) | |||
| Stalker | Unknown | 2131 | Resigned, 2132 |
| 2132 | Incumbent | ||
| Vass | Unknown | 2132 | Incumbent |
| Volt Judge Volt Chief Judge Hadrian Volt is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was chief judge of Mega-City One between 2116 and 2121 .-Fictional character biography:... |
Chief Judge (2116–2121) | 2116 | Political reform, 2117 |
| Unknown | Unknown | 2103 | Killed in Apocalypse War, 2104 |
Chronological
- 2101–2103
- Chief Judge Griffin
- Deputy Chief Judge Pepper
- Psi-Judge Ecks
- SJS Judge McGruder
- Accounts Judge Quimby
- 2103–2104
- Chief Judge Griffin
- Psi-Judge Ecks
- SJS Judge McGruder
- Accounts Judge Quimby
- Unknown
- 2104–2108
- Chief Judge McGruder
- Judge Creed
- Judge Herpert
- Psi-Judge Omar
- Tek-Judge Renbow
- 2108 (for one day only)
- Chief Judge McGruder
- Judge Creed
- Judge Herpert
- Tek-Judge Renbow
- Psi-Judge Shenker
- 2108–2110
- Chief Judge Silver
- Psi-Judge Shenker
- Tek-Judge Brufen
- Judge Grimlet
- Judge Hershey
- 2110–2112
- Chief Judge Silver
- Psi-Judge Shenker
- Judge Grimlet
- Judge Hershey
- Judge-Tutor Odell
- 2112–2116 Council suspended
- Chief Judge McGruderJudge McGruderChief Judge Hilda Margaret McGruder is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. She was the first female Chief Judge of Mega-City One, and the first Judge of Mega-City One to become Chief Judge twice...
sole ruler- Judge HersheyJudge HersheyJudge Barbara Hershey is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd series that appears in British comic 2000 AD. For nearly two decades she regularly appeared as Dredd's sidekick, before being promoted to become his superior: she was chief judge for nine years...
acting chief judge, 2114 and 2115 - Judge Greel acting chief judge, 2116
- Judge Hershey
- Chief Judge McGruder
- 2116 Interim Council
- Psi-Judge Shenker
- Judge Hershey
- SJS Judge Niles
- 2116–2117 Council of Five restored
- Chief Judge Volt
- Deputy Chief Judge Herriman
- Psi-Judge Shenker
- Judge Hershey
- SJS Judge Niles
- 2117–2120 Chief judge: Volt (2116–2121)
- Deputy Chief Judge Herriman
- Psi-Judge Shenker
- Judge Hershey
- SJS Judge Niles
- Judge Ramos
- 2120–2122
- Deputy Chief Judge Hershey
- Psi-Judge Shenker
- SJS Judge Niles
- Judge Ramos
- Tek-Judge McTighe
- 2122 (for one day only)
- Chief Judge Hershey
- PSU Judge Niles
- Judge Ramos
- Tek-Judge McTighe
- Judge Dredd
- 2122–2123 Chief judge: Hershey (2122–2131)
- PSU Judge Niles
- Judge Ramos
- Tek-Judge McTighe
- Vacant
- Vacant
- 2123–2130
- PSU Judge Niles
- Judge Ramos
- Tek-Judge McTighe
- SJS Judge Buell
- Judge Hollister
- 2130–2131
- PSU Judge Niles
- Tek-Judge McTighe
- SJS Judge Buell
- Judge Hollister
- Vacant
- 2131–2132 Chief judge: Francisco (2131–2132)
- Deputy Chief Judge Sinfield
- Tek-Judge Benitez
- Judge Cardew
- Judge Millan
- Judge Stalker
- 2132 Chief judge: Sinfield (2132)
- Tek-Judge Benitez
- Judge Cardew
- Judge Millan
- Judge Stalker
- Vacant
- 2132
- Deputy Chief Judge Cardew
- Judge Millan
- Judge Benedetto
- Judge Rolf
- Judge Sherman
- 2132–present Chief judge: Francisco (2132–present)
- SJS Judge Buell
- Judge Dredd
- PSU Judge Niles
- Judge Stalker
- Judge Vass
Statistics
The following relates only to those individuals listed above (i.e. post-2101):- Violent deaths: Of the 28 ex-councillors on the above lists, 11 were removed from the Council by violent death. Three of those were killed by the Dark JudgesDark JudgesThe Dark Judges are recurring villains in the fictional Judge Dredd universe recounted in the UK comic 2000 AD. They are Judge Death, Judge Fire, Judge Fear and Judge Mortis. Later storylines added the "Sisters of Death" , to their ranks...
(Grimlet, Herriman and Silver). Four were killed during the Apocalypse WarApocalypse WarThe Apocalypse War is a storyline from the comic strip Judge Dredd, first published in British comic 2000 AD in 1982. A sequel to the story "Block Mania", it was written by John Wagner and Alan Grant and illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra...
. Their average term of office was just under 3 years, compared with nearly 6 years among ex-councillors overall. - Terms of office: The longest term served on the Council (since 2101) was 15 years, by Judge Niles. The shortest term was one day, an ad hoc temporary appointment served by Dredd to fill the seat left vacant when Shenker stepped down. If that is not counted, then the next shortest terms are those of Benedetto, Rolf and Sherman, who only served for a few weeks each.
- Chief judges: Four councillors became chief judge (McGruder, Silver, Hershey and Sinfield). Two others joined the Council ex officio because they had become chief judge (Griffin and Volt).
- Backgrounds: Eight councillors were street judges at the time of their elevation to the Council (including Volt and Herriman). The Academy of Law provided four (Griffin, Silver and Pepper were tutors before they became chief and deputy chief judges). Ten were heads of their divisions: the SJS, Psi Division and Tek Division providing three judges each, and Accounts one. (The backgrounds of eight members are not known.)
Other members
- Judge GoodmanJudge GoodmanChief Judge Clarence Goodman is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. He appeared in the first episode of Judge Dredd in March 1977 , and was the first regularly recurring supporting character.-Biography:Goodman was joint deputy chief judge at the...
, founder of the Council. - Judge CalJudge CalChief Judge Cal is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was loosely based on the real life Roman emperor Caligula, who is widely considered to have been insane...
, chief judge between Goodman and Griffin. - Judge SolomonJudge SolomonChief Judge Hollins Solomon is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd stories in the comic 2000 AD. His first appearance in the comic was in a flashback in #68, in the 1978 story The Cursed Earth. However his main appearance is in the story Origins , as a recurring character in a series of...
, one of the original members of the Council (mid 21st century) and Goodman's predecessor as chief judge (2051–2057). - Judges JuddMorton JuddMorton Judd is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip and appears in progs 559-563 of the British comic 2000 AD, in the story "Oz"....
, Arlow, Johanssen and Lowther, former members of the Council during the Atomic WarsAtomic WarsThe Atomic Wars or Great Atom War is a fictional event in the Judge Dredd universe.In 2070, the possibly psychotic President Robert L. Booth started World War III by starting a nuclear war which dragged in all the major superpowers....
of 2070 (with Solomon).
Virgin novels
Although Chief Judge McGruder abolished the Council of Five at the beginning of her second term of office, some of the Judge Dredd novels published by Virgin BooksVirgin Books
Virgin Books is a United Kingdom book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Enterprises, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company.-History:...
(1993–1995) still featured the Council during this period. To reconcile this apparent discrepancy, one of the books stated that the Council existed in a purely advisory capacity, with no executive power, and only sat intermittently, as and when required. It consisted of McGruder, Shenker, Hershey, and two others. The identities of the fourth and fifth members varied from book to book, as these characters were frequently killed off. (Since the books were written by four different authors, they were not always consistent with each other, and one book reprised a character a year after he had been killed off in another book.) None of these characters ever appeared in the comics.