Wikipedia:Categories for deletion/category:British jurists

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Category:British jurists[edit]

This was created by a well meaning American who was unaware that the term "jurist" is obselete in the UK. The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as "now US". Plenty of well informed British adults have little or no idea what a "jurist" is. See it's talk page for further details. The subcats should be moved to a category:British lawyers to give the articles more chance of being visited. Wincoote 20:41, 22 Mar 2005 (UTC)

As the well-meaning American in question, what term is used in British English to refer to legal professionals, including judges, barristers, solicitors, and academics generally? I'd support a renaming to that term, if there is one, so that it mirrors the grouping function performed by Category:American jurists. Postdlf 21:39, 22 Mar 2005 (UTC)
As I've said before the only term available is "lawyers". We just don't feel the need for a term that definitively encompasses academics the way you seem to in the U.S. It's just one of those things that reveal two cultures' different ways of thinking. There must be other examples. How about "single-family home"? That's also a broad term which we don't use, have a precise equivalent for, or miss.
No British person is going to be confused by "British lawyers" or be surprised to find judges and academics in it, and I can't see that it will be a problem for others when they see it as a subcategory of the global category. Wincoote 00:09, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)
For the group of people referred to I would expect to see them called "Lawyers". To me, a "Jurist" is a person serving on a jury. Thryduulf 08:25, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)
Hmm, maybe British legal professionals? I don't know that I'd expect to find judges and academics in a lawyers category, to be honest I'd expect to find them all in different categories. I would definitely think that a jurist was someone serving on a jury, though I know now that I would be wrong ;-) -- Lochaber 09:46, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)
"British legal professionals" looks fine to me. James F. (talk) 11:49, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)
I still think it is unnecessary and clumsy, in that it isn't everyday English in the way that "lawyers" is, but if other people want it "British legal professionals" will do. Wincoote 11:54, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)
Well, I'd go for "lawyers". All British judges are lawyers, after all, and term is often used to mean anyone with a law degree, not just someone who practises (since they're either solicitors or barristers/advocates in the UK). Law academics are known as "academic lawyers", so "lawyers" seems to cover everyone perfectly well and is less clumsy than "legal professionals" (which is certainly not the first term I'd think of). A person who serves on a jury is a "juror", incidentally, not a "jurist". And "jurist" is still used in Britain, but these days only for an academic lawyer (or a law student, although that's not a common usage). -- Necrothesp 14:31, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Comment Everyone so far has supported renaming, but we need to choose which name to use. Could any further voters please be sure to express a preference between "lawyers" and "legal professionals". Wincoote 13:49, 25 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Legal professionals

  1. Renaming as "legal professionals". — Instantnood 14:24, Mar 25, 2005 (UTC)
  2. I'm gonna go for British legal professionals. I've always take a lawyer to be someone who is licensed to practice - a solicitor or a barrister - though I take the point that all judges are licensed (can the licence lapse? and if so how does this affect their status as judges?). Jurist may be more correct as a collective term but since it seems to be largely unknown in the UK it's probably best to rename. -- Lochaber 15:00, 25 Mar 2005 (UTC)
  3. I prefer this to Lawyers as I wouldn't expect to see academics in that category. This supercedes my comment above. Thryduulf 15:25, 25 Mar 2005 (UTC)
  4. Support. Better than "lawyers", no better suggestion given. Postdlf 04:51, 27 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Lawyers