HC Deb 02 February 1966 vol 723 cc1086-7
38. Mr. Cordle

asked the Attorney-General what advice is given by the Lord Chancellor to his advisory committees for appointments to the Commission of the Peace to ensure that their recommendations, whilst covering all sections of the community, are made on the basis of capacity to carry out the judicial duties involved; and whether he will emphasise that nominees should not take a very active and prominent part in any political party.

The Attorney-General

In accordance with the recommendations of the Royal Commission of 1948, my noble friend the Lord Chancellor has instructed his Advisory Committees on the Justices of the Peace as follows:—

  1. (1) Each member of the Committee should be vigilant to prevent the recommendation of any person for appointment or the exclusion of any person from appointment as a Justice on the sole ground that he is a member of a particular party.
  2. (2) The paramount consideration in appointing Justices is fitness for the discharge of judicial duties.
  3. (3) Each Commission should include persons representative of various sections of the community; and
  4. (4) No Commission should include an undue proportion from any political party.

Mr. Cordle

Is the Attorney-General aware that a letter recently written by the Lord Chancellor to the secretary of the Labour Party of Bournemouth has been interpreted by the Press as well as the public generally as a decision to inject political considerations into appointments to the Bench? This is the point I wish to make and again this has been contrary to his own expressions of opinion—

Mr. Speaker

Order. This is getting too long. The hon. Member's first supplementary question is enough.

Mr. Cordle

I wanted to know what steps the right hon. and learned Gentleman proposed to suggest to the Lord Chancellor so that this matter could be put right. How can he counteract this impression?

The Attorney-General

I doubt whether even my noble Friend can put right misinterpretations of letters which he has written. In the letter in question, my noble Friend emphasised that the paramount consideration in the selection of persons for appointment as magistrates was their fitness for the discharge of judicial duties, and he was concerned to discover in Bournemouth an inadequate representation of magistrates from the wage-earning sections of the community. It is to put that maladjustment right that he has taken the necessary steps.