14. Aug. 2010. – 16:33:08
Those appointed as Justice of
the Peace are very clearly made aware that their public position makes them
liable to very severe strictures on the conduct of their private life insofar
as it might tarnish the image of the magistracy. Thus a fortnight ago a member
of the Waltham Forest Bench who was also a local councillor was removed. The
Office for Judicial Complaints issued the following statement;
“Mr Graham Sinclair, a magistrate appointed to the Waltham Forest Bench, failed to notify the Department for Work and Pensions of a material change in circumstances that would have affected his entitlement to benefit. A judicial investigation found his actions fell below the standards expected of a magistrate. As a result, the Lord Chief Justice and the Lord Chancellor have
agreed that Mr Sinclair should be removed from the magistracy.”
However the only press reports concerning this gentleman which could conceivably be pertinent inform that in January 2009 he [and his wife] were unanimously found not guilty of fraud. Without further knowledge more comment is impossible but the message is very clear that a J.P. must not only be whiter than white in his conduct but be seen to be such.
On June 24th Ms June Thomson was removed from her post because she had failed to declare fixed penalty speeding endorsements and penalties. Since the beginning of the year seven magistrates have been removed from the magistracy for failing to show commitment and/or failing to maintain contact with their bench. That usually indicates that the individual has not been able to maintain the minimum number of sittings required.
The OJC removed twenty five J.P.s in the year ended 31/03/2010. So far this year beginning 01/04/2010 twelve J.P.s have been removed. These numbers indicate that the removal rate has increased considerably. With increasing financial pressures on almost everyone it seems likely that many colleagues will seek to reduce their availability to sit in order to maximise their income. It is also unfortunately the case that more, especially those on low incomes, might be tempted to maximise their income but in doing so attempt to obtain benefits to which they are not entitled. With fervent declarations by magistrates and their spokesmen that they are representative of the population at large what could be more representative of that population than when up against financial collapse some turn out to be dishonest.
“Mr Graham Sinclair, a magistrate appointed to the Waltham Forest Bench, failed to notify the Department for Work and Pensions of a material change in circumstances that would have affected his entitlement to benefit. A judicial investigation found his actions fell below the standards expected of a magistrate. As a result, the Lord Chief Justice and the Lord Chancellor have
agreed that Mr Sinclair should be removed from the magistracy.”
However the only press reports concerning this gentleman which could conceivably be pertinent inform that in January 2009 he [and his wife] were unanimously found not guilty of fraud. Without further knowledge more comment is impossible but the message is very clear that a J.P. must not only be whiter than white in his conduct but be seen to be such.
On June 24th Ms June Thomson was removed from her post because she had failed to declare fixed penalty speeding endorsements and penalties. Since the beginning of the year seven magistrates have been removed from the magistracy for failing to show commitment and/or failing to maintain contact with their bench. That usually indicates that the individual has not been able to maintain the minimum number of sittings required.
The OJC removed twenty five J.P.s in the year ended 31/03/2010. So far this year beginning 01/04/2010 twelve J.P.s have been removed. These numbers indicate that the removal rate has increased considerably. With increasing financial pressures on almost everyone it seems likely that many colleagues will seek to reduce their availability to sit in order to maximise their income. It is also unfortunately the case that more, especially those on low incomes, might be tempted to maximise their income but in doing so attempt to obtain benefits to which they are not entitled. With fervent declarations by magistrates and their spokesmen that they are representative of the population at large what could be more representative of that population than when up against financial collapse some turn out to be dishonest.
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