§ Mr. E. Walkdenasked the Attorney-General the number of holders of justices' on-licences appointed to the Commission of the Peace in each of the last 10 years; and the nature of any bar, statutory or non-statutory, which operates against the appointment of such licence holders to the Commission of the Peace?
§ The Attorney-GeneralIt is not possible to state the number of holders of justices' on-licences appointed to the Commission of the Peace in each of the last 10 years. The number so appointed is, however, very small indeed. The holder of such a licence is debarred from part of the functions of a magistrate by Section 40 67W of the Licensing (Consolidation) Act, 1910, and whilst there is no complete statutory bar, it has been for many years a practice for the Lord Chancellor not to make such appointments, save in the most exceptional circumstances. The occupation of a licensed victualler is one amongst others which successive Lord Chancellors have felt not to be suitably combined with the position of a magistrate.