How Lay Magistrates are Chosen and Appointed

How Lay Magistrates are Chosen and Appointed

Lay magistrates, justices of the peace, are part-time and unpaid

members of the public, who are chosen to serve in the magistrates

court. In order to become a lay magistrate a certain criteria is set.

The lay magistrates are not legally qualified, they can be taxi

drivers or teachers. They only need to fit certain criteria. The

person must live within 15 miles of the area in which they want to

serve. They must have lived within this area for at least 12 months.

There are other points to meet, such as the age limit of 21-65.

However it is unlikely to be chosen as a lay magistrate until the age

of 27. The person must also be able to sit for long periods of time

and so must be healthy enough to fulfil their duties. The final

criteria is that the person must be able to sit for at least 26 times,

usually each time consists of half of a day and so must be able to sit

for 13 days.

A person may be disqualified from being a lay magistrate if they have

a certain job or issue. If they work for, or a close family member,

works for the justice system, then they cannot be a lay magistrate. If

they have a serious conviction, such as s.18 GBH or a series of minor

ones, such as speeding tickets. If they are an undischarged bankrupt

or member of the forces, then they are also removed. You may also be

disqualified if you are an MP or traffic warden.

To become a lay magistrate a person is expected to fit 6 qualities

needed to serve that position. They must be of a good character, with

good social awareness, such as racial or sexual issues, and also must

be understanding with good communication skills. Other qualities such

as maturity, sound temperament, sound judgement, commitment and

reliability are require. A magistrate need these essential qualities

to do their job, as they need to be calm and responsible to do their