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.
The Times
November 11 1999
Court backlog tackled
BY FRANCES GIBB
LEGAL EDITOR
THE Lord Chancellor is to appoint more stipendiary magistrates to cut a backlog of cases in the criminal courts. The move by Lord Irvine of Lairg coincides with concern among lay magistrates that the Government sees them as inefficient and not cost-effective.
Lord Irvine said yesterday that he wanted powers to lift the statutory ceiling on the numbers of stipendiary magistrates from 50 to 56. There are currently 48 in England and Wales. But he also expressed confidence in the 30,000 lay magistrates in England and Wales.
He said their role was "pivotal to the administration of justice" and expressed "the Government's appreciation for lay magistrates, over 30,000 of whom are giving their voluntary services free for the benefit of their communities".
