18-year old magistr8s, good or bad?

[streaky]

Latest idea from T Bliar's crony the Lord Chancellor ... to reduce the age at which people can apply to be magistrates to 18. Of course, that's only three years younger than now, and they 'say' that this does not mean that 18-year olds will necessarily be sitting as magistrates, but then this is the same 'they' that said Sadam Hussain had WMD!

How would you feel about 18-year olds sitting in judgement on you?

(a) for a speeding offence and

(b) for a non-motoring offence.

Please give your age group when replying so that the answer can be weighed .

Streaky

[Don]

Why not? If an 18 year old can show that they have the life experience, capability, wisdom and ability to see all sides of a story why shouldn't they participate.

So its not likely then...I know that I knew naff-all at 18...



(38)

[puggit]

What angers me is that our taxes have probably paid thousands (if not more) for someone/a group/a quango to sit around and discuss this.

For heaven's sake - why has this even surfaced - is the government that bored it has to tweak silly little things like this?!

[mel]

Think William Hague and tory boy speach at the conference infront of Maggie years ago, he was to young. Or even worse think that you might have your liberty and livelyhood resting in the hands of PWIG.

[minimax]

In general, bad idea. A magistrate is in a position of power over a large amount of people, and I would think that the more life experience available for them to draw from the better. Perhaps the minimum age should be 25? I don't want someone my age making a decision that has such potential consequences for me or anyone else.

Tom - 21

[mondeoman]

what a complete load of arse!

Magistrates and judges should have experience and knowledge, and you sure as hell aint got that when you're 18, 21 (and in some cases, I'd say never!)

from a bigoted old git of 38

[XM5ER]

I'm with Puggit on this, the idea is idiotic, when Iwas 18 I thought I knew everything, where as now I know I knew feck all. But why waste all that money discussing it and proposing it, idiots.

[rich 36]

Having been up before the beak in my younger years for a variety of stupid motoring/other offences, it was my luck to get some of the dopier' variety facing me who had to be prompted by briefs to arrive at a mediocre fine for me fortunately culminating in me being apprehended with belisha beacon ( the flashing orange bit) running along main road
Untill they were corrected, they though i had uprooted the whole thing from ground
( started even back then)

[deltaf]

mel said:

Think William Hague and tory boy speach at the conference infront of Maggie years ago, he was to young. Or even worse think that you might have your liberty and livelyhood resting in the hands of PWIG.

LMAO!

[pmanson]

I'm 21 in a couple of weeks and i'd quite happily do it. But then again how much is dictated from above. I.E He was doing 31mph in a 30 zone the punishment is 50 lashes.

I know you would have to follow the law but do you have the option of your own discrestion?

[Puggit]

mungo said:

mel said: Think William Hague and tory boy speach at the conference infront of Maggie years ago, he was to young. Or even worse think that you might have your liberty and livelyhood resting in the hands of PWIG. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! At 18 I certainly didn't have enough life experience to decide someones fate and liberty... Bad idea!

Might as well get in there first...

Mungo, are you sure you're old enough now?

[Swilly]

Truthfully, it is not age that matters but maturity, particularly when you consider that Guy Gibson who commanded the Dambusters squadron on the raid was only 21 years old himself and already a near-legend prior to that mission.

BUT, these days society is softer and less expectant of its various age groups.

So, 18 year old magistrates? If they can speak a whole sentence without saying 'like', 'innit', 'd'ya know what i mean', etc etc then great stuff.

Although i think trying to find 18 year olds that fit the bill will be a tad difficult.

[streaky]

Swilly said:

Truthfully, it is not age that matters but maturity, particularly when you consider that Guy Gibson who commanded the Dambusters squadron on the raid was only 21 years old himself and already a near-legend prior to that mission. ...

You mature faster in wartime (I'm told). Something to do with recognising your own mortality - Streaky