Dr. Morganasked the Attorney-General whether any medical, examinations or certificates are required in the case of justices of the peace over 60, and especially 70, years of age?
§ The Attorney-GeneralNo medical examination or medical certificate is required in the case of a person who has been appointed a justice of the peace.
Dr. Morganasked the Attorney-General (1) how many women justices of the peace are now on the list of members of the Kingston-on-Thames petty sessional divisional court; whether he can give the figure of women so appointed annually for the past five years; and the number of women magistrates as compared with male magistrates, with the relative differential sex adult population in this district;
(2) whether consideration has been given to the district maldistribution of the justices of the peace of the Kingston-on-Thames petty sessional divisional court, having regard to the residences of appointed justices of the peace, the absence of available justices of the peace in some working class and other districts, the comparative paucity of women justices of the peace, the present undesirable method of bench consultation before appointment, and the inconvenience caused to residents and ratepayers needing the services of magistrates; and whether steps will be taken at once to improve the bench deficiencies in this area;
(3) whether it has been the established practice recently for the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey or his advisory committee to consult the present members of the Kingston-on-Thames petty sessional court as to prospective additions to their numbers or for their opinion collective, or otherwise, on recommended or nominated persons for justice of the peace appointments in that area; how long has such a practice been in vogue; was the Lord Chancellor consulted before such a practice was 830W started; and whether such a procedure occurs in other parts of the country?
§ The Attorney-GeneralIn addition to fourex officio justices, there are three women and nineteen men justices on the Kingston petty sessional divisional bench. In the last five years, two women, who were appointed in December, 1937, and five men, have been appointed to that bench. The information asked for regarding the population in this district is not at present available, and my Noble Friend is informed that it could be ascertained only after very considerable labour and research. My Noble Friend is not aware that the distribution of justices throughout the division is faulty. As I informed the hon. Member on 20th May, all the justices attached to the division reside within it, and are available to those needing their services. No complaints have been made to my Noble Friend on any of the matters, referred to in the Question, and he has no reason to believe that any such steps as are there suggested are required. It is, and has for some years been, the practice of the Lord Lieutenant to receive recommendations from, amongst other persons, the justices of the division. My Noble Friend does not regard this practice as necessarily undesirable. He does not know whether such a practice is followed in other areas, though in many counties the Lord Lieutenant, as chairman of the Advisory Committee, consults the chairman of the benches within the county.