Justices of the Peace Act 1979

33 Jurisdiction of metropolitan stipendiary magistrates and lay justices

(1) In the inner London area the jurisdiction conferred on justices of the peace by any enactment, by their commission or by the common law shall be exercisable both by metropolitan stipendiary magistrates and by justices of the peace for that area who are not metropolitan stipendiary magistrates (hereafter in this Part of this Act referred to as " lay justices ").

(2) Metropolitan stipendiary magistrates shall continue to exercise the jurisdiction conferred on them as such by any enactment ; and the inner London area (having taken the place of the metropolitan stipendiary courts area) shall continue to be the area for which magistrates' courts are to be held by metropolitan stipendiary magistrates.

(3) Lay justices for the inner London area may, in addition to exercising the jurisdiction mentioned in subsection (1) above, exercise the jurisdiction conferred on metropolitan stipendiary magistrates as such by any enactment except the following, that is to say—

(a) the Extradition Acts 1870 to 1935 ;

(b) section 28 of the [1913 c. 31.] Pilotage Act 1913 (which relates to appeals by pilots against certain actions of pilotage authorities);

(c) section 25 of the [1933 c. 12.] Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (restrictions on persons under 18 going abroad for the purpose of performing for profit); and

(d) the [1967 c. 68.] Fugitive Offenders Act 1967 ;

but a magistrates' court consisting of lay justices for the inner London area shall not by virtue of this subsection try an information summarily or hear a complaint except when composed of at least two justices.

(4) Without prejudice to subsection (1) above, subsections (3) to (5) of section 16 of this Act shall have effect in relation to a metropolitan stipendiary magistrate as they have effect in relation to a stipendiary magistrate appointed under section 13 of this Act.