§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Attorney-General if the Lord Chancellor will seek from the Newcastle upon Tyne Advisory Committee on Magistrates its reasons for keeping its membership secret; and if he will provide these reasons to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East.
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§ The Attorney-GeneralNo. Of the 96 advisory committees which advise the Lord Chancellor on the selection of magistrates, only two disclose their membership to the public. The Lord Chancellor does not inquire into their reasons for making their names public or keeping them private. In every case the committee may be approached through the secretary of the committee whose name is published.
§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Attorney-General what steps are taken in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne to ensure that the general public are aware of the procedure for nominating and appointing magistrates.
§ The Attorney-GeneralA notice drawing attention to the selection process appeared in November 1983 in the national newspapers published in the Newcastle upon Tyne area. An information booklet on the appointment and duties of justices of the peace is also available in the Newcastle upon Tyne library.
§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Attorney-General if he will publish a list of those organisations that are invited from time to time to submit names for consideration for membership of the magistrates bench in Newcastle upon Tyne.
§ The Attorney-GeneralAll advisory committees are required to use their own methods in their search for suitable candidates from all sections of the community and these methods vary from area to area. In Newcastle upon Tyne some 34 local organisations, including political parties, trade unions, business, professional and community organisations have been approached but any other organisation or individual may recommend a candidate for appointment as a magistrate.
§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Attorney-General what steps are taken to ensure that, once appointed, magistrates continue to be able to discharge their functions in a proper way in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
§ The Attorney-GeneralOn appointment all magistrates undertake compulsory training during their first year of service and thereafter participate in periodic further training. Special training is provided for magistrates who serve in the juvenile and domestic courts and in the Crown court. All magistrates are required to sit regularly at petty sessions throughout the year with a minimum of 26 attendances annually.
§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Attorney-General what is the total number of members of the advisory committee on the appointment of magistrates in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
§ The Attorney-GeneralTen.
§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Attorney-General if he will provide a copy of the standard application form sent to prospective magistrates in Newcastle upon Tyne.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library. But it is also available for all candidates.
§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Attorney-General why it is a requirement of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne for prospective magistrates to give a description of their religion in response to an additional question typed on to the standard form.
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§ The Attorney-GeneralThis is not a requirement. The advisory committee in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne pays attention to the religious views of candidates for appointment as magistrates only in order to meet the Lord Chancellor's aim that the bench should reflect the community it serves. A candidate is always entitled to withhold information relating either to his or her religion or political commitment.
§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Attorney-General if the Lord Chancellor is satisfied that the composition of the magistrates' bench in Newcastle upon Tyne reflects the criteria contained in his reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East, Official Report, 17 January, c. 155.
§ The Attorney-GeneralYes.
§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Attorney-General whether the criteria set out in the Official Report 17 January, c. 155, also apply to the composition of the advisory committee on the appointment of magistrates in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
§ The Attorney-GeneralYes.