A three-member panel of judges is usually called a judicial panel or simply a three-judge panel. In appellate courts, the judge in the middle or at the top is often the presiding judge or chief judge , depending on the court’s rules.

What it means

  • It is a group of three judges who hear and decide a case together.
  • This setup is common in appellate courts, where panels review lower-court decisions.
  • The judge “elevated above the others” sounds like the presiding judge , not a different kind of panel.

Simple wording

If you want the plain term, the best answer is: three-judge panel.

Bottom line

For your wording, I’d call it a three-judge panel , with the middle or leading judge being the presiding judge.