§ 26. Mr. EDEasked the Home Secretary if his attention has been called to a circular from the Deputy-Clerk of the Peace for Surrey to the clerks of the Petty Sessions in that county, suggesting that there shall be a limitation to the number of justices attending Quarter Sessions and that the justices to attend shall be elected by the Petty Sessional Benches; and whether he will draw the attention of the authorities concerned to the right of every magistrate for the county who is so minded to attend Quarter Sessions whether elected or not?
§ Mr. CLYNESI have obtained a copy of the circular letter in question enclosing a memorandum which has been sent by the general purposes committee of Surrey Quarter Sessions to the chairmen of the several county benches. In the memorandum it is clearly stated that every magistrate is entitled to attend Quarter Sessions, and no communication from me to the committee is therefore required. As, however, there are 343 county magistrates entitled to attend, it is obvious that some general understanding is desirable to prevent inconvenience and overcrowding of the Court.
§ Mr. EDEHas my right hon. Friend noticed in the memorandum which he quotes that the Chairman of the Quarter Sessions says that, if anyone dissents on the bench, it leads to a retirement and much waste of time; and will he bring to the notice of the Quarter Sessions the fact that it is their duty to administer 685 justice, and be sure that it shall be done, even if it involves some personal inconvenience?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe first two parts of the hon. Member's supplementary question deserve further consideration, and I shall be happy to discuss the matter with him.
§ Mr. HOLFORD KNIGHTDoes the right hon. Gentleman not think it undesirable that any person should interfere with justices of the peace in the execution of their duties?
§ Mr. CLYNESBroadly and generally speaking, that is so, but this circular does not in the slightest way take away any individual rights of justices. It is an effort rather to organise attendance so as to prevent overlapping.
§ Mr. KNIGHTHas my right hon. Friend noticed the part of the memorandum which calls attention to particular instances which may occur where justices dissent from a certain course, and I suggest that that is interference?
§ Mr. CLYNESI have said that I shall be glad to give further consideration to that matter.
§ Mr. EDEDid the right hon. Gentleman also notice in the memorandum that the Chairman of the Quarter Sessions proposes to exclude all but the senior members of the bench from attendance, and is it not as well to have some members of the Court who can hear the cases?