UK Law Articles
These articles are reproduced from old newspapers. Whether you are looking for old articles about the Lord Chancellor's Department, or trying to find stories on solicitors, judges or courts, the law teacher article database is here to help you. You will find these articles useful for writing your law essays, law dissertations and law coursework.
Lord Chancellor's Department
Press Notice
9 November 1999
THE LAY MAGISTRACY AND THE JUDICIARY
Misleading reports have appeared about the Government's intentions
for the lay magistracy and judicial appointments.
The Lord Chancellor's Department and the Home Office have set up a
research project to assess whether the current balance between the
use of lay magistrates and Stipendiaries is correct; whether each set
of magistrates is deployed in the most effective way; and the weight
of the arguments that are heard for and against the use of lay or
Stipendiary magistrates in particular circumstances.
The terms of reference expressly state:
"The Government is committed to the principle of the lay
magistracy continuing to play a significant part in our system of
justice. Also, the Government's overriding concern is to have in
place a system of criminal justice in which the public have
confidence."
That is the position of the Government.
A broad based review of the criminal courts on the model of Lord
Woolf's inquiry into civil justice is currently under consideration
within Government. Its remit will not include the appointment of the
judiciary.
The report of Sir Leonard Peach, the former Commissioner for Public
Appointments, on the system for appointment of judges and Queen's
Counsel, is expected shortly and will be published.
Note To Editors
1. Research into the magistrates courts was detailed in the Lord
Chancellor's speech to the Annual general meeting of the Magistrates'
Association on 30 August.
2. A review into the appointments system for judges and QCs,
conducted by Sir Leonard Peach, is expected to be published by the
end of this year.
