ACC/C11/1

General correspondence file on divers Magistrates' matters. Includes: correspondence re unsuitability of recommendations as JPs from the Bedfordshire Federation of Labour Parties; residence clause in the Justices of the Peace Bill under discussion in 1949; age of magistrates sitting on the Juvenile Court Panel; programme for a conference of the Magistrates Association held at Luton on 2 November 1950; abolition of the Dunstable Borough Commission of the Peace and assimilation into the County Commission; Statutory Instrument re maximum number of magistrates to sit at various courts; correspondence re convictions of Magistrates; appointment of Geo Brewis as Hon Sec to the Committee; requests for a local Magistrate from those areas lacking one; magistrates' choice of which bench to sit on; abolition of Woburn Petty Sessional Division and dispersal of the Magistrates to other benches; Magistrates choice of which days to sit; Home Office circular re composition of juvenile courts; correspondence re a Magistrate's sensitivity at his lack of attendances and impression that certain people would like to see his name removed; necessary secrecy concerning members of the Advisory Committee; allegations by an ex-member that the Advisory Committee did not (1954) consider more names than the exact number necessary to fill vacancies and appointment of a magistrate initially opposed only by the alleger; newspaper cutting re resignation of C L Henderson QC from Standing Joint Committee and his reappointment; correspondence re frequency of sittings and possible shortage of magistrates to man individual benches; agitation by the Cranfield Parish Council for a resident magistrate; alleged monopoly of the Sharnbrook Bench by members and clients of a firm of estate agents; proposed abolition of Sharnbrook Bench; recommendations to other county Advisory Committees; employee losing wages for the times he sat as a magistrate; possible changes to the Magistracy as a result of Luton becoming a County Borough; magistrates over 65 retiring from the Juvenile Panel; allowing some Borough Commission Justices to sit at Quarter Sessions; reasons for confidentiality in proceedings of Advisory Committees; Magistrate consorting with a defendant following a hearing and during an adjournment for sentence; desire by Sandy UDC that Local Authorities should play a larger part in the selection of Magistrates; allowing spouses of local Government officers to sit at cases involving Local Authorities; and feeling on a certain bench that new justices for that bench were of insufficient calibre and had not been properly vetted by the Advisory Committee.

1949-1969

From: 1949 To: 1969

item

3990

Bedfordshire Federation of Labour Parties,
Magistrates Association,
Brewis, George,
Henderson, C.L.

general politics, political societies, Labour Party, Dunstable Borough, barristers, Sandy Urban District Council, DUNSTABLE, WOBURN, CRANFIELD, SHARNBROOK, LUTON, SANDY