§ 21. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Arthur Heneageasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if there are any courses or refresher courses for magistrates in petty sessional and juvenile court procedure and practice; and if not, will he consider starting them.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI fully appreciate the value to magistrates of facilities for studying court practice and procedure and I am glad to say that, with the fullest encouragement and support from the Home Office, a great deal has been done in this direction during the last few years by the Magistrates' Association 952 which I venture to think is the body best fitted to organise lectures and conferences for magistrates. In June, 1943, the Home Office arranged with the Magistrates' Association for the holding of a series of conferences specially for juvenile court magistrates at which the speakers were selected for their knowledge and experience of the subject. No less than fourteen well attended conferences have been held in this way at different centres since September, 1943, and more are being organised. Similarly, a number of conferences have been held by the same Association for magistrates to discuss various aspects of procedure in the adult courts. The work of the Magistrates Association has been usefully supplemented by the Clarke Hall Fellowship, particularly by the publication and issue to magistrates of valuable lectures and pamphlets dealing with the treatment of offenders.
§ Sir A. HeneageWill the right hon. Gentleman's Department do everything they can to encourage these conferences, and to encourage magistrates to go there?
§ Mr. MorrisonYes, Sir, certainly.