Musings and Snippets from a recently retired JP. I served for 31 years, mostly in west London. I was Chairman of my Bench for some years, and a member of the National Bench Chairmen's Forum All cases are based on real ones, but anonymised and composited. All opinions are those of one or more individuals. JPs swear to enforce the law of the land, whether or not they approve of it. Nothing on here constitutes legal advice.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Nice to Know
The MoJ has kindly published its latest list of fees payable to various parts of the judiciary. Don't look for magistrates - the fee remains at zero, as it has done for a few hundred years. It's not that bad though.When we sit with a Recorder in the Crown Court, he may get £583 per day, but we can claim £7.65 for lunch.
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The difference is Recorders et al do as their told. We, on the other hand, do as WE see fit! Which is why MoJ don't like us.
ReplyDeleteExcept when it comes to sentencing, of course. Still, at least you offer a satisfyingly high conviction rate. None of that ridiculous "acquittal" nonsense juries are so tediously prone to.
DeleteAt least I can now see how much is saved by giving a three day trial to a DJ instead of having to pay daily expenses to three mags. On a pro rata basis, it looks similar to giving Olympics security to G4S instead of having the MPS co-ordinate it all.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you're not claiming £7.65 subsistence, Bystander. You may get in deep do-do for fiddling your expenses. The current rate is £7.45, and has been since 1 May 2010...
ReplyDeleteCan you? We're limited to £7.45 towards a sticky bun and a cuppa char down here.
ReplyDeleteI love your British Humour coming through.
ReplyDeleteHistorically though might the low pay grade for Magistrate's have resulted in a little bribery and corruption on the side back in say the 1800's and 1700's?
That's the reason Stipendiary (professional, paid) Magistrates were invented, which has morphed into DJ (MC)s now.
DeleteFor more, see Wikipedia.
"Stipes" very quickly outdid the lay magistracy in their venality, usually in cahoots with the Runners or Peelers (the original policemen).
DeleteFascinating, I'd love to learn more! Please cite a source.
DeleteSadly true, primarily by the Middlesex magistrates, known as "trading" or "basket justices", who were regularly denounced in Parliament for their venal ways (in 1780, one MP described them as "the scum of the earth").
ReplyDeleteApart from the absolute level of fees, the attitude of the MOJ to their payment is interesting. A retired pal of mine did a couple of days as a county court judge, and discovered during day two that he would not be required for a third day that had been pencilled in for another court. He was not put out, but was somewhat surprised to learn that "of course you will be paid for tomorrow anyway, as it's now just past 2.30pm when we're cancelling you".
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