- Latest available (Revised)
- Original (As enacted)
This is the original version (as it was originally enacted).
(1)The Lord Chancellor must, for each county court division, appoint persons to be lay magistrates for the division.
(2)A person may not be appointed to be a lay magistrate unless—
(a)he has completed a course of training approved by the Lord Chancellor, or
(b)he has given an undertaking in writing to attend such a course of training.
(3)It is a condition of the appointment of a person under subsection (2)(b) that he will complete such a course of training within the period of one year beginning with the date of his appointment or such longer period as the Lord Chancellor may allow.
(4)The Lord Chancellor may by order make further provision about eligibility for appointment to be a lay magistrate.
(5)The provision which may be made by an order under subsection (4) includes (in particular) provision that a person may not be appointed to be a lay magistrate—
(a)if he does not reside or work in, or within a prescribed distance of, the county court division to which the appointment relates,
(b)if he, or a person related to or otherwise connected with him in a prescribed manner, holds an office of a prescribed description, has an occupation of a prescribed description or has been selected as a candidate for election to a prescribed body,
(c)if a bankruptcy order has been made against him, or his estate has been sequestrated, or he has made a composition or arrangement with, or granted a trust deed for, his creditors, or
(d)if he has been convicted of a prescribed offence,
unless the Lord Chancellor otherwise determines in the case of a particular person.
(6)“Prescribed” means prescribed in the order.
(7)No act by a person appointed to be a lay magistrate is invalidated by reason only that he is not a lay magistrate because he was not eligible to be appointed.
(8)A lay magistrate ceases to hold office on the day on which he attains the age of 70.
(9)No act by a person who has been a lay magistrate is invalidated by reason only that he has ceased to hold office under subsection (8).
(10)The Lord Chancellor may remove a lay magistrate from office.
(11)The Lord Chancellor must pay to lay magistrates any such allowances as he may determine.
(12)The Lord Chief Justice, Lords Justices of Appeal, judges of the High Court and county court judges may exercise any function of a lay magistrate (in relation to any matter arising within any county court division).
(13)In paragraph 11 of Schedule 2 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (c. 47) (excepted matters: judicial offices), after “resident magistrates,” insert “lay magistrates,”.
(14)“County court division” means a division specified under Article 3(1) of the County Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980 (S.I. 1980/397 (N.I. 3)).
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.
Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.
Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.
Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including: