(1)There shall be constituted in accordance with this section a justices’ committee for every commission area which shall—
(a)assist and advise the local authority concerned on any matter relating to the administration of the district court;
(b)approve the duty rota of justices;
(c)secure that adequate training arrangements for justices are made for their area in accordance with a scheme made under section 14 above, and that these arrangements are adhered to by justices;
(d)take such other steps as appear to them to be appropriate in order to secure the effective administration of justice in the district court.
(2)The clerk of the peace for a commission area shall, before 16th June 1975 and during the month preceding 16th June in every following year, call a meeting of the justices for that area, at such place and time as he may consider convenient, to elect from their number a justices’ committee.
[F1(2A)For the purposes of subsection (2) above, “justices” includes signing justices who are or have become such by operation of section 12 of this Act.]
(3)The Secretary of State may prescribe the upper and lower limits of the number of members of which a committee in any commission area may be composed.
(4)A stipendiary magistrate appointed to any commission area shall, by virtue of his office, be a member of the committee for that area.
(5)The members of a committee shall elect from among themselves a chairman, who shall preside at their meetings.
(6)The clerk of the peace for a commission area shall, by virtue of his office, be secretary to the committee for that area.
(7)A justices’ committee may regulate their own procedure.