Explain how lay magistrates are chosen and the duties they undertake as magistrates

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a. Explain how lay magistrates are chosen and the duties they undertake as magistrates. (15)

In the English legal system there are lay magistrates who operate at magistrate's court level. Candidates of magistracy must be aged between 21 and 60, but it is usually advised that people under 27 are not appointed. Most of the Magistrates in this day and age are at least 40. The advisory committee aim to achieve a balance of age, race, gender and political allegiance on the bench.

The prospective magistrates have to show 6 key qualities in order to become a magistrate. The first is to show good personal character. This means the magistrate must be a well respected and trustworthy member of the local community. The second is understanding and communication, this is fairly obvious as the magistrate must be able to comprehend evidence and must have a sound grasp of the legal system. The third is to have good social awareness. This entails not having any discriminations and understanding and catering for the needs of the local society. The forth is maturity and sound temperament. This is a little more complication in the fact magistrates have to remain unaffected