advantages and disadvantages of lay magistrates uk

Discuss the disadvantages of using lay people in the criminal justice process Bias . 3) Being treated like employees. Lay magistrates know the area. Furthermore, an advantage for the use of lay magistrates is that there are few successful appeals in a magistrate's court, which suggests that the system is working. These courts are generally staffed by lay people who are appointed by a document called a Commission of the Peace. They are legally qualified and will decide whether a person is guilty or not and decide what sentence they should receive. There is often significant delay, considering the quantity of cases going through the system and subsequent backlog that arises. Criticism of the jury system in criminal trial process has emphasised the high cost of juries to . The UK has a rich and successful history of having lay people involved, as lay magistrates, in the judicial decision making of the courts. they are unpaid so it is cheap. - Magistrates may well be biased against activists belonging to on-going campaigns that have caused advantages_disadvantages_lay_people.ppt. File Size: 53 kb. - Advantages and disadvantages of judicial precedent 13. Lay magistrates usually sit alone in court. The UK has a rich and successful history of having lay people involved, as lay magistrates, in the judicial decision making of the courts. Magistrates are volunteers so are relatively low cost and the Auld Review (2001) highlighted the low cost of . That's all changed. Exam (elaborations) - Principles of . The verdict would be reached by both the judge and lay assessors. The report looks at the relative cost of using a DJ or lay Justices of the Peace, and despite the fact that the former earns a six-figure salary while the latter receive only expenses the . Cost. D1 Evaluate the Effectiveness of Lay People in the English Courts - BTEC Law Unit 1. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Lay People in the Criminal Courts. in a crown court. They assist the They knew what they could get you to do and not to do. However, the Lord Chancellor, who by section 10 Courts Act 2003 is responsible (on behalf and in the name of . Appeals and appellate courts -Questions Answer the following questions: 1. 51% are women, 8% are ethnic minorities. So they will see similar cases and give the same sentence for them and also they become biased to what the police evidence says. List of the Disadvantages of a Jury System. Click to see full answer. Answer (1 of 5): Barristers tend to be seen as litigators, but that can be a small part of their job. How are they more representative than judges? It can be said from the outset that a number of issues arise, which arguably compromise their role to a certain extent. Also it is cheaper to send cases to lay magistrates than using professional judges because they are cheaper and do their work voluntarily. I Advantages And Disadvantages Of Lay Magistrates Essay had no time to compete my dissertation, but my friend recommended this website. Thus, it has recognized trust when common law had refused to, therefore highlighting equity's advantage over common law. Lay involvement - public participation in the justice system; Local knowledge - community concerns and interests represented; Balanced view - a bench of three Magistrates provides a balanced view; Cost - they are volunteers and therefore relatively cheap, though do take longer to make decisions than professional judges; Disadvantages Lay Magistrates and District Judges - Roles and Advantages/Disadvantages. This in turn will boost public confidence in the law enforcement system, as they will begin to believe that cases can be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Wards supply details of their estate administration fees as a matter of course where clients consider an appointment in their Will. Also by doing a trial in Magistrates Court instead of Crown Court is much cheaper, so a lot of money can be saved. It keeps the courts out of the hands of a priestly class. File Type: ppt. Prior to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (CJA 2003) the Juries Act 1974 set out the eligibility and disqualification criteria for jurors. Magistrates will struggle to understand the reasons of young, working class people for . The disadvantages of using magistrates. This technique is used in most Scandinavian countries. The courts have some ways to move and avoid precedent but these are restricted. The magistrates' courts normally deal with low severity cases and refer to them as summary offences. The advantages and disadvantages of Magistrates The Magistrates' Court Qualification of Lay Magistrates Lay magistrates do not have to have any legal qualifications. Lay magistrates are not legally qualified and do not get paid, where as stipendiary magistrates are legally qualified and get paid for there job. The making of law in decided cases offers opportunities for growth and legal development which can not provided by Parliament.The courts can more quickly lay down new principles, or extend old principles to meet novel circumstances. This image is to a certain extent true: Most magisrates are over 50. Our fee charging basis varies from time to time but is [] Although this disadvantage doesn't occur as often today as it did in the past, the jury system isn't under an obligation to make a decision based on the facts of the case. 1 of 12. Decisions can be adapted and extended to reflect changes in society. The first disadvantage arises from the fact that jurors are not required to explain the reasons behind their decisions. The learning objectives for this series of worksheets are: -To study the selection and recruitment of magistrates in England and Wales. An advantage of using lay magistrates is that the sentences they pass are very consistent. The traditional image of lay justices is that they are 'middle class, middle-aged and middle minded'. Today there are significant numbers of persons who sit and run magistrates court in UK, as a part time job. Advantages & Disadvantages of the Jury System. - Magistrates are less likely to accept "political" defences than juries. Trial by jury has a number of advantages, but also a few pitfalls. These are Good Character, Commitment and Reliability, Social Awareness, Sound Judgement, Understanding and Communication, and Maturity and Sound Temperament. A key advantage is cost. Lay magistrates get paid a 'stipe' which is called a "stipend" thus the term stipendiary comes from. If a case is appealed from the Magistrates' Court to the Crown Court, what powers does the I Advantages And Disadvantages Of Lay Magistrates Essay had no time to compete my dissertation, but my friend recommended this website. more representative of all sections of society than judges of lay mags; wide age limit - wide range of ages on jury; usually have wide social background - contrasts to judiciary juries being influenced media influence - (Taylor and Taylor); using internet to research case - (Karakaya); jury tampering - (Twomey) fraud trials Over the years they were give many administrative duties, for example . 1. Local knowledge - community concerns and interests represented. Saves Time for the Parliament. List of the Advantages of Judicial Precedent. A judge and 2 lay assessors can also be used. they connect the judicial system to ordinary people. They are susceptible to bribes. Magistrates under the age of 40 are still rare, making up only 4% of the magistracy. Magistrates thought the increase in out of court disposals deprived them of cases which should be heard in open court. 2 of 12. A District Judge will sit alone in the Magistrates Court. Magistrates must have six key qualities. 13. The use of magistrates means that although not everyone is represented most sections of the community around that are is represented and the feelings of that community are voiced though how the magistrates sentence different crimes. in a magistrate court is much more cheaper and efficient than a trial. When a dispute arises, the jury may look at only a small portion of all the evidence. A trial. This was mainly due to their salary costs. What are the advantages of having a case heard by a jury at Crown Court? The advantages of having jury service are that the legal system becomes more open and justice is seen to be done as members of the public aim to get fair results and they are made without bias. More representative of society than professional judges Local knowledge Cost Volunteers. A clerk must be legally qualified. 2. They become very reliant on their legal adviser. 11.When you consider the pros and cons of lay judging and especially when you want to establish the arguments for lay judges you have start with the tradition. Lay members (Magistrates) have legal advisers within points of law and live locally as they have to live close so that they know the area well. The advantages of lay magistrates are, that they are much more cost. Magistrates are unpaid, apart from their expenses. 4% are under 40, 50% are over 60. Because the post of magistrate is voluntary and has a substantial training period of four years, it leads to the assumption that only middle class, white, retired males take up the post. The tangible benefits of lay magistrates playing a part in the judicial process includes: Lay people have local knowledge which can be invaluable; They come from a wide range of careers bringing a variety of . I know that it is a time consuming job to write dissertations. -To understand the responsibilities of a Magistrate. BTEC Applied Law Unit 1 D1 - This is a very detailed evaluation of the use of Lay Magistrates and Jurors in the English Courts. Disadvantages of the lay magistrate I think that the most predominant disadvantage is the stereotype that has been associated with the lay magistrate. Emotional involvement. Moreover, lay magistrates possess distinct tech-nocratic advantages as well as providing an important check on professional power. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. 6. what are the advantages and disadvantages of lay magistrates? Report is provided in the original 2011 . If a case is appealed from the Magistrates' Court to the Crown Court, who will hear the case? dmocratisation of that process. Magistrates' Courts disadvantages: - There's a much lower rate of being acquitted (found not guilty) than in Crown Court. One of the biggest disadvantages of juries is that they are not required to consider all the facts. Whilst there is some legal aid, often the cost of lawyers is such that many cannot afford their help, especially if a case has to go to the higher courts. Lastly, doctrine of stare decisis avoids mistakes. Start studying Advantages and Disadvantages of lay magistrates. The tangible benefits of lay magistrates playing a part in the judicial process includes: Lay people have local knowledge which can be invaluable; They come from a wide range of careers bringing a variety of . . They are called 'judicial-appointment . There are three types of criminal offences under UK law, which include: The mid thirteenth century- the judicial side of their position had been developed. If a case comes up in court it can be changed if it is a bad outcome, but cases and precedent can only change when a case comes to court. They are inconstant with their sentencing. Any member of the public aged between 18 and 65 can apply to become a lay magistrate, and as Crawford (2004) has 1. What are the disadvantages of the jury system? Advantages And Disadvantages Of A Research Proposal, Free Resume Templates Basic, Essay Topic Of Overcoming The Fear Of Failure, Dissertation Hypothesis Editing Websites, Content Writer For Hire Us, Lay Magistrates Essay Writing, 5th Grade Comparative Essay Outline Plea bargaining, which is managed by state and federal prosecutors, is the process of offering criminal defendants dramatically reduced charges in exchange for a guilty plea. "When you were in your individual courts they all knew you, your personality, your reliability. However, this essay looks to identify the disadvantages of using jurors in the criminal justice process. Lay Magistrates and District Judges - Roles and Advantages/Disadvantages 1790 . Advantages And Disadvantages Of Lay Magistrates Essay received perfect results. It attempts to secure fairness in the justice system. There are advantages and disadvantages of using lay people in the criminal justice system. United kingdom PEARSON Business 2010 QCF . Because of this, some people refer to a jury as a "conscience vote" or a . This means that magistrates need an element of legal training before undertaking their role, but this isn't true of juries. I know that it is a time consuming job to write dissertations. Lay Magistrates - advantages and disadvantages Author: richard maurice ripley mapletoft Last modified by: M.Crump Created Date: 2/11/2007 11:44:26 AM . . Advantages And Disadvantages Of Lay Magistrates Essay received perfect results. Despite the relative speed with which they handle cases, the cost model showed that District Judges are typically more costly per case (where key differences are controlled for) than magistrates in terms of the magistrates' court processing costs. Sections 50-52 Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 set out new conditions of eligibility for judicial appointment. Advantages And Disadvantages Of A Research Proposal, Free Resume Templates Basic, Essay Topic Of Overcoming The Fear Of Failure, Dissertation Hypothesis Editing Websites, Content Writer For Hire Us, Lay Magistrates Essay Writing, 5th Grade Comparative Essay Outline Q. 53% are female as opposed to only 28% of judges being female 10% are of a ethnic minority as oppose to 5% of judges Less elite than judges Trial by peers rather than a paid professional. The second paper I ordered was a research report on history. 11. This keeps some public contribution, yet loses the time and cost of using a jury: because of this, this method is thought of as the most adequate alternative. Disadvantages Of Lay Magistrates 731 Words | 3 Pages. This means the jury may come to a decision based on partial or even no evidence. Not a 'trial by peers', contrary to trial by Juries - Magistrates convict about 90% of all cases; Some people argue that Magistrates are out of touch with the goings on in the poorer sections of society and that they do not understand certain implications of this 1. Found insideUnder Criminal Justice Act 2003, only those with mental illness are . Advantages Disadvantages Peace of mind that the estate administration will be dealt with properly in accordance with the law and best practice. They must show some specific personality traits that make them good people to judge others and pass sentence on their crimes. The second paper I ordered was a research report on history. and later in the Roman empire, lay judging is the original form of rendering justice; justice was carried out by an assembly of all free men in ancient times . This research assessed the strengths and skills of magistrates and District Judges to inform better deployment of the judiciary in magistrates' courts. The difference between the use of lay people in magistrates and crown courts are that in the magistrates court the lay people do the sentencing but in the crown court this is left up to the judge. They arent representative of society because . Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using lay magistrates in the criminal justice system With 95% of all criminal cases being tried at Magistrate courts (G Slapper, D Kelly, The English Legal System 11th Edition P424), one could say that they act as a filter for Crown courts. -To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using lay people in the justice system. The cross section of ethnic minorities and women is wider with magistrates is greater than that of judges. They normally take their seat and attend legal proceedings as a Bench of two or three, because . Distinction Grade. Discuss the disadvantages of using lay Magistrates in the criminal justice process. 12. According to Wilkie, the "concept of trust has been the vehicle for much creative activity on the part of the courts of equity". 33. Download File. Because juries are comprised of regular people, their combined knowledge of the law is usually less deep than the knowledge of a judge. Drawn overwhelmingly from professional and managerial ranks. The traditional image of lay justices is that they are 'middle class, middle-aged and middle minded'. 5. 10. Even though there were professional judges in Ancient Greece 600 years B.C. Not representative, bias, easily swayed, lack of skills, secrecy of deliberations, high acquittal rates in criminal trials, emotional impact on individual jurors, cost, time consuming, inability to assess damages in civil cases. Lay Magistrates try 97% of all criminal cases and deal with hearings in 3% of the cases. Advantages of Magistrates Cost Magistrates are Unpaid (Apart From Their Expenses) Saves 100m Approx. Third, it also offers opportunity to develop the law. A major disadvantage of the crown court is the delays encountered. Exam (elaborations) Letter; Adavantages and disadvantages of lay people. 1361- the title of Justice of the peace was being used. 14. However, the use of the system of trial by jury is on the decline. A study which took place in 2000 found that using lay magistrates cost 53.10 per hour, whereas using a district judge would cost 61.78 an hour. 47 And now, summing up the advantages and disadvantages of lay judges, we see a division between a political and a scientific argument. Great public confidence in Magistrates; Disadvantages. Over 60% are professionals and 40% are retired. R v R 1991 could only change when the case came to court, but for a long time people clearly did not . Magistrates don't reflect the social makeup of Britain. Exam of 2 pages for the course Unit 23 - Aspects of the Legal System and Law-making Process at PEARSON (DISTINCTION GRADE) . The study, published this week and carried out by Ipsos MORI, shows that district judges gave custodial sentences in 7% of cases, while lay benches used custody in 4% of cases. Whilst, the crown court deals with high severity cases and refers to them as indictable offences. Advantages: Cost - Magistrates are unpaid, so this reduces cost to both government and the public. Due to the complexity or seriousness of cases handled by the crown court, the process may be lengthy. Drawn overwhelmingly from professional and managerial ranks. This document thoroughly evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of Lay People in the English legal system. Punishment. To become a lay magistrate you must have English GCSE. A criticism of Magistrates is that over time circumstances are not shocking, passing sentences is less of a big issue and cynicism develops this known as case hardening.The Prison Reform Trust Report on Sentencing (2010) highlighted the postcode lottery in terms of sentencing. Comparative costs of magistrates and District Judges . Lay magistrates do not have to have any legal qualifications; with a few exceptions, anyone is eligible to serve as a magistrate and that includes blind people . One notable difference between common law and equitable rights is the concept of trust. The use of juries and lay magistrates offers an inclusive form of justice involving people without legal education passing judgement on fellow members of society. evaluate the effectiveness of lay people in English courts Introduction Lay people are people who don't get paid and who are not qualified; they are volunteer's, lay people in the law are the magistrate and the jury and I . 8 of 24. Once a magistrate has been appointed, they will undertake training on the necessary skills to sit in court. Each bench of lay magistrates has a salaried clerk, who is usually employed full time. Product Code:CIT/C8/WB/82. The Supreme Court, Role of the Supreme . Economic considerations are also relevant and I contend that the relative financial merits of the lay magistracy, taken together with democratic arguments, advantages and disadvantages Advantages Democratic Government Control House of Lords Flexibility Disadvantages Government Control Slow Dated process, language and statistics Your Task . Download File. Magistrates come from a ride range of backgrounds than professional judges and are much older then district judges. List of Advantages of Delegated Legislation. . Rigidity. 2. eleanor walker Background to magistrates (history) 1195- Richard I appointed 'Keepers of Peace'. In the UK, nearly all criminal cases will begin in magistrates' courts. On 4 April 2005, key aspects of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (the Act)2 came into effect. Compared to the magistrate court, the crown court can hand down the maximum sentence and fines in any case it handles. They provide their services voluntarily but they are paid travelling expenses and not for the work they do. Magistrates. This image is to a certain extent true: Most magisrates are over 50. 1. The jury system of a trial is an essential element of the democratic process. In order to resolve the complexity and volume that the legislature needs to deal with, the power needs to be delegated to the executive branch. The goal of any justice system should be to create a level of legal fairness throughout society. It is arguable that the criminal trial process of, on the one hand, the rules of evidence, which is require proof at trial, but on the other hand, the party prosecution have a detrimental effect on the capacity of the system to identify the truth. Magistrates' Courts tend to be less intimidating and easier to understand, influenced by the use of lay people, compared to Crown Court trials.

advantages and disadvantages of lay magistrates uk