Magistrate appointed aged 20
Discussion
Now I don't know about you but I thought magistrates were supposed to be people with some experience of life and of good standing in the local community.
They now seem to be appointing anyone who fancies applying; this can only worsen the already degraded Criminal Justice system.
BBC article below
A 20-year-old man from West Sussex is believed to be Britain's youngest magistrate after a drive to recruit JPs more representative of the community.
The man is qualified to serve at courts in his home town of Crawley as well as Haywards Heath and Horsham and has already taken part in one sitting.
Other recent recruits include a single mother, aged 21, and a man of 24, both from Telford in the West Midlands.
A government spokesman said it wanted to increase diversity in the courts.
If they are able to answer things with maturity and to do reasoning exercises and so on, they fit the bill
Alan Tait
He said he believed the 20-year-old Crawley man was the country's youngest magistrate.
The magistrate had been "quite bemused" to learn he was said to be one, Mr Tait added.
The man was only 19 when he was interviewed and may still have been when he was sworn in at Chichester Crown Court in May with 15 other new magistrates.
Recruitment campaign
Mr Tait admitted eyebrows had been raised when the decision was taken to reduce the minimum age for magistrates from 27 to 18.
But he said: "The selection process is such that they have to meet very certain criteria.
"It is a very carefully conducted process. If they are able to answer things with maturity and to do reasoning exercises and so on, they fit the bill."
The spokesman for the Department of Constitutional Affairs said: "There is an ongoing campaign to increase diversity in the judicial system and magistrates so that it is not all middle-aged or retired people."
A £4m campaign to recruit younger people to become magistrates as well as more black and Asian people was launched in October 2003.
Fewer than 4% of JPs, who are unpaid, were under 40 and eight out of 10 were over 50.
They now seem to be appointing anyone who fancies applying; this can only worsen the already degraded Criminal Justice system.
BBC article below
A 20-year-old man from West Sussex is believed to be Britain's youngest magistrate after a drive to recruit JPs more representative of the community.
The man is qualified to serve at courts in his home town of Crawley as well as Haywards Heath and Horsham and has already taken part in one sitting.
Other recent recruits include a single mother, aged 21, and a man of 24, both from Telford in the West Midlands.
A government spokesman said it wanted to increase diversity in the courts.
If they are able to answer things with maturity and to do reasoning exercises and so on, they fit the bill
Alan Tait
He said he believed the 20-year-old Crawley man was the country's youngest magistrate.
The magistrate had been "quite bemused" to learn he was said to be one, Mr Tait added.
The man was only 19 when he was interviewed and may still have been when he was sworn in at Chichester Crown Court in May with 15 other new magistrates.
Recruitment campaign
Mr Tait admitted eyebrows had been raised when the decision was taken to reduce the minimum age for magistrates from 27 to 18.
But he said: "The selection process is such that they have to meet very certain criteria.
"It is a very carefully conducted process. If they are able to answer things with maturity and to do reasoning exercises and so on, they fit the bill."
The spokesman for the Department of Constitutional Affairs said: "There is an ongoing campaign to increase diversity in the judicial system and magistrates so that it is not all middle-aged or retired people."
A £4m campaign to recruit younger people to become magistrates as well as more black and Asian people was launched in October 2003.
Fewer than 4% of JPs, who are unpaid, were under 40 and eight out of 10 were over 50.
Plotloss said:
wanting to be a magistrate when 20.
apparently, he's a DJ...
This was lead storey in the Sunday Express yesterday, there is also a 21 Yr old sitting/training...
They began there training in May 2005 - i personally think its a good idea to be sentencing scroats there own age...
It also adds a certain "dimension/understanding" to metering out punishments that 90 year old magistrates that dont relate to the "younger" population...
RobDickinson said:
You only do 20odd days anyhow.
So long as he has his head screwed on it shouldnt be any worse than an old doing it, IMO age doesnt always confer experiance, and typicaly people do their best work when younger.
I agree that age doesn't always confer experience, but when you are twenty you have no experience.
I cannot imagine the people I knew at 20 being responsible magistrates at that age.
Hughesie2 said:
wanting to be a magistrate when 20.
apparently, he's a DJ...
This was lead storey in the Sunday Express yesterday, there is also a 21 Yr old sitting/training...
They began there training in May 2005 - i personally think its a good idea to be sentencing scroats there own age...
It also adds a certain "dimension/understanding" to metering out punishments that 90 year old magistrates that dont relate to the "younger" population...
Nice!
Posession?
Sorted!
I totally agree... He is more than welcome to vote on the countries leadetrship, die for his country, dtrive cars, drink beer, but heaven forbid he should have some say in justice matters. That should certainly be left to elderly folk, as we all know they have all their marbles. Where are the people who bemoan the justice system, and the injustices today, when people are let out early, and lame sentences handed down. Are these not the same middle aged, elderly magistrates you complain about week in, week out? Give the guy a chance, it might work well.
JagLover said:
They began there training in May 2005 - i personally think its a good idea to be sentencing scroats there own age...
...
But will they sentence them properly?
Is some soap averse student the best person to be dealing with sentencing?
He's a DJ, not a student...
They undergo 2 years training (in a wing position) but has 1/3rd sentencing responsibility (2/3rds done by 2 other beaks that sit on the same bench)
Now, your mechanic probaly gets the same amount of training, just because he's not got 25 years mechaniccing (sp) exp should he not work on your car, in fact at what point should a younger person be allowed to sit on a bench ??
IIRC you can apply to be a Madge from the age of 18.
andy mac said:
Where are the people who bemoan the justice system, and the injustices today, when people are let out early, and lame sentences handed down. Are these not the same middle aged, elderly magistrates you complain about week in, week out? Give the guy a chance, it might work well.
I complain about them too yes, but I think recruiting 20 year olds will make matters even worse.
Hughesie2 said:
He's a DJ, not a student...
They undergo 2 years training (in a wing position) but has 1/3rd sentencing responsibility (2/3rds done by 2 other beaks that sit on the same bench)
Now, your mechanic probaly gets the same amount of training, just because he's not got 25 years mechaniccing (sp) exp should he not work on your car, in fact at what point should a younger person be allowed to sit on a bench ??
IIRC you can apply to be a Madge from the age of 18.
He's not actually, that was a Sunday paper getting it's facts wrong.
What age you ask?, it used to be 27, maybe the lowest possible is 25.
Hughesie2 said:
JagLover said:
I complain about them too yes, but I think recruiting 20 year olds will make matters even worse.
Based on what ??
Based on the fact that the 20 year olds I have dealt with have little experience of life, and at times without the maturity to effectively function as adults.
You will note that it is the student masses that provide most of the radicals campaigning for whatever is that week’s policy to squeeze the middle classes. Would you want them in a position of power over you?
>> Edited by JagLover on Monday 26th September 11:33
JagLover said:
You will note that it is the student masses that provide most of the radicals campaigning for whatever is that week’s policy to squeeze the middle classes. Would you want them in a position of power over you?
>> Edited by JagLover on Monday 26th September 11:33
Ok, for the 2nd time, this guy is not a student...
He wields no power over me and sits with two other (time served) Madge's, besides if i'm in the dock i've
ed up anyway so i'll take it the same as if it was dished out by 3 octogenerian's I personally think its great idea, brings another dimension/perception to the people that already serve on the bench...
Good luck to him i say...
JagLover said:
JagLover said:
I complain about them too yes, but I think recruiting 20 year olds will make matters even worse.
Based on what ??
Based on the fact that the 20 year olds I have dealt with have little experience of life, and at times without the maturity to effectively function as adults.
You will note that it is the student masses that provide most of the radicals campaigning for whatever is that week’s policy to squeeze the middle classes. Would you want them in a position of power over you?
>> Edited by JagLover on Monday 26th September 11:33
Well thanks for that vote of confidence. Try not to tar us all with the same brush pal. We're not all biscuit munching students.
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