Most citizens never appear before a judge. If they have a brush with the law, they are more likely to find themselves in a magistrates' court.
The atmosphere there is far less formal and intimidating than a law court. There are no wigs, no gowns, no jurry, and often no lawyers.
The magistrates are not usually professionals. They are called Justices of the Peace (JP) and are appointed on the advice of a local committee,and they generally sit in their courts once a week. In big towns, however, the magistrates' courts operate every day, and the magistrate is a professional lawyer.
About two-thirds of the convictions in a magistrates' court are for traffic offences. Next come revenue offences (mainly failure to take out licences for dogs and cars), then drunkeness, and assault.
Magistrates sit in in twos or threes, with a professional clerk to advise them on points of law. In modern times this has reduced the risk of eccentric decisions.
0 yorum:
Yorum Gönder