Chapter Updates

Chapter 9: Lay persons in the English legal system

Youngest magistrate in Britain appointed in September 2006

The 20 year old ‘Asian DJ’ widely hailed by the press as the youngest member of the bench (see textbook at p184, ‘it’s a fact!’) has been replaced in the media’s attention by Lucy Tate, a 19 year old law student at Leeds University, who can now clearly be described as the youngest lay magistrate in Britain. Lucy was appointed to the Pontefract, West Yorkshire bench in September 2006. Her appointment reflects recent efforts to improve the diversity of the magistracy (arising from the National Strategy for the Recruitment of Lay Magistrates, 2003) and indicates that the lower age of appointment for lay magistrates is 18 years of age. Candidates will no longer have to wait until they have reached their mid–twenties until they are considered, provided of course that they meet the six key qualities required of lay magistrates: good character; understanding and communication; social awareness; maturity and sound temperament; sound judgment; and commitment and reliability. For more on appointments to the lay magistracy, see pp184–186.