Magistrates

Also see Justices of the Peace and Quarter Sessions: Justices of the Peace.

Magistrates are local representatives of the law who preside over courts, either as part of a group or bench or as individuals. The magistrate has limited law enforcement and administrative authority. The magistrate's court traditonally has jurisdiction over both civil cases and minor criminal cases.

Magistrates are also known as Justices of the Peace. See Magistrates Courts.

Magistrates used to live within a 15-mile (24 km) radius of the area they preside over (the commission area) in case they are needed to sign a warrant out of hours. However, commission areas were replaced with Local Justice Areas by the Courts Act 2003, meaning magistrates no longer need to live within 15 miles (24 km), although, in practice, many still do.

There are currently two types of magistrate: lay magistrates and legal professionals permanently employed by the Ministry of Justice. (United Kingdom) (until May 2007, the Department for Constitutional Affairs). Lay Magistrates or lay Justices of the Peace, sit voluntarily and tend to be on 'The Bench' and working with other magistrates. They receive training and tend to sit on minor cases.

Professional magistrates are nowadays known as District Judges (Magistrates' Court), but were also known as Stipendiary Magistrates (which is to say, magistrates who received a stipend or payment). Unlike lay magistrates, District Judges (Magistrates' Court) sit alone and have the authority to sit in any magistrates' court.

Lists of magistrates and justices, including the dates that oaths were taken, survive for 1792-1973 (ref: QD1/103-217).

The Accounts of the West Riding Treasurer from 1838 include the names and addresses of magistrates and principal officers (ref: QD2/52-103).

Year Books often include details of magistrates for example WW10/1-70 has a list of Wakefield City and Riding Magistrates from 1856-1929.