§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that lay magistrates are not discouraged by advice from their clerks from accepting invitations to accompany police patrols to experience crime and disorder at first hand. [131660]
§ Mr. LeslieSuccessive Lord Chancellors have warned magistrates of the risks of participating in activities which might appear to undermine the independence of the bench. However, one of the strengths of the magistracy is that its members will have a wide range of experience of their local communities. Magistrates are encouraged to keep their knowledge up to date, and visits to areas with particular problems can do much to help. The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State does not wish to discourage magistrates from seeing at first hand how the police work within the local community. This must, however, be achieved in ways which minimise the risks of their impartiality being called into question.