HL Deb 28 March 1963 vol 248 cc263-4

2.41 p.m.

LORD STONHAM

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, when appointing Justices of the Peace, they will give special consideration to the appointment as Jus- tices, of persons who have experience as prison visitors.]

THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD DILHORNE)

My Lords, experience as a prison visitor is one of the qualifications to which I attach some importance when selecting persons for appointment to the Commissions of the Peace.

LORD STONHAM

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor. May I hope that he will attach additional importance to this qualification, so that future magistrates may have a better idea of the conditions with which they are dealing?

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

My Lords, while I agree that some importance should be attached to this qualification, I could not, of course, accept the proposition that a good prison visitor would necessarily form the best magistrate in adjudicating the guilt or innocence of the accused.

LORD STONHAM

I assure the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor that I fully accept that. But, surely, among the qualities of a good magistrate is a considerable and varied experience in the matters on which he is adjudicating, and surely some knowledge of the kind of people on whom he is adjudicating would be a considerable help.