Bringing Justice Up to Date
Page 25
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A Magistrate Agrees With Our Opinions on the Need for Reorganizing the Courts .
WE have had a visit from a justice of the Peace, who has an intimate knowledge of roadtransport work and agrees wholeheartedly with our ing article " These Precious Justices," which we published last week. He considers that this should be brought to the notice of other magistrates throughout the country.
In his view, the main difficulty is that the majority of the Justices are retired, elderly men and women who appear to have somewhat vague ideas as to modern conditions. Many are wealthy and, consequently, what to these may appear a trivial fine is often actually a very serious matter to a man earning a comparatively small wage, and it is frequently extremely difficult for the police to collect the impost.
It is quite the recognized procedure for a thief to be bound over for a first offence. Yet this practice is seldom followed where a motoring offence is concerned. In connection with our pre vious remarks concerning the wielding of excessive power by the clerks to the Justices, these officials should act in an advisory capacity, for it is not their prerogative to be autocratic.
It would appear that there is a distinct leaning towards the suggestion for special motoring courts, the Justices for which could be selected for their knowledge_ of road-transport matters. Such courts, properly constituted, would undoubtedly help to remove the anomalous conditions which now exist.
The matter is one which calls for urgent action. If motorists; as a class, are to obtain fair play they should, individually and collectively, express their opinions in the Press, both local and national, and to the Members of Parliament for their constituencies. They should, in their issne strong protests against being subjected to vindictive punishments resulting from the conduct of the relatively few black sheep.