Council of Five

This article is about the Judge Dredd comic strip. For the Japanese history article, see Council of Five Elders.

The Council of Five is a fictional legislative body in the Judge Dredd universe. It first appeared in 2000 AD prog 86.

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. Until 2117 the chief judge chaired council meetings and had the right of veto; and when the offices of chief judge and deputy chief judge were both vacant, the Council chose The New chief judge from among themselves. However in that year the constitution was changed, so that the chief judge is no longer a member of the Council but is 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 chief judge is now elected by 400 senior judges. (See also the Chief Judge article for additional details.)

The Council was created by Judge Goodman when he became chief judge in 2057. 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 has always declined a seat on the Council, although he sat temporarily in a vacant seat for the trial of Judge Edgar in 2122 to make up a quorum.

As of 2008 (or 2130 in the comic) the current members are Judges Niles (Public Surveillance Unit), Ramos (street judge), McTighe (scientist), Buell (Special Judicial Squad, or internal affairs) and Hollister (undercover).

Lists of Members of Council of Five since 2101

Alphabetical

Chronological

• 2101–2103
  • Chief Judge Griffin
  • Deputy Chief Judge Pepper
  • SJS Judge McGruder
  • Psi-Judge Ecks
  • Accounts Judge Quimby

• 2103–2104
  • Chief Judge Griffin
  • SJS Judge McGruder
  • Psi-Judge Ecks
  • 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 McGruder sole ruler
    • Judge Hershey acting chief judge, 2114 and 2115
    • Judge Greel acting chief judge, 2116

• 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
  • 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
  • Tek-Judge McTighe
  • Judge Ramos
  • Judge Dredd

• 2122–2123
  • PSU Judge Niles
  • Tek-Judge McTighe
  • Judge Ramos
  • Vacant
  • Vacant

• 2123–present
  • PSU Judge Niles
  • Tek-Judge McTighe
  • Judge Ramos
  • SJS Judge Buell
  • Judge Hollister

Statistics

The following relates only to those individuals listed above:

• Violent deaths: Of the 19 ex-councillors on the above lists, 11 were removed from the Council by violent death. Three of those were killed by the Dark Judges (Grimlet, Herriman and Silver). Four were killed during the Apocalypse War. Their average term of office was just under 3 years, compared with 4⅔ years among ex-councillors overall (disregarding Dredd's single attendance).
• Terms of office: The longest term served on the Council (since 2101) was 14 years by both Shenker and Hershey. However this includes four years (2112–2116) during which the Council was suspended. If only ten years of their records are counted, then they have already been surpassed by Niles' fourteen and Ramos' thirteen (as of 2008/2130). The shortest term was one day, an ad hoc temporary appointment served by Dredd to fill the seat left vacant when Shenker stepped down.
• Chief judges: Three councillors became chief judge (McGruder, Silver and Hershey). Two others joined the Council ex officio because they had become chief judge (Griffin and Volt).
• Backgrounds: Seven councillors were street judges at the time of their elevation to the Council (including Herriman). The Academy of Law provided four (Griffin, Silver and Pepper were tutors before they became chief and deputy chief judges). Ten were, or are, heads of their divisions: the SJS, Psi Division and Tek Division providing three judges each, and Accounts one.

Other members

• Judge Goodman, founder of the Council.
• Judge Solomon, one of the original members of the Council (mid 21st century).
• Morton Judd, former member of the Council (late 21st century) and rogue judge.
• Judge Cal, chief judge between Goodman and Griffin.