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Could The English Legal System Function Without Lay Magistrates?
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| Submitted: Wed Sep 10 2003
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Jonathan Dryden Could The English Legal System Function Without Lay Magistrates? Lay magistrates are unqualified, part-time and unpaid, yet they deal with the vast majority of cases in the legal system. They do not hear cases on their own but sit as a bench or panel of two or three magistrates. The use of such unqualified judges is open to criticism. The role of magistrates is that they are expected to deal with a wide variety of cases. Their main work is trying minor criminal cases, but they also have some civil functions, e.g. hearing applications for licenses to sell alcohol and dealing with community debts such a non-payment of the community charge. They also deal with domestic jurisdiction such as adoption, divorce etc. There are two types of magistrate - lay and stipendiary. It is said that lay magistrates are the backbone of The English...
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