ABSTRACT
To some extent, a lay magistrate, also referred to as a JP (Justice of the Peace), is at the opposite extreme. For some, the very existence of magistrates, the unpaid citizens who give their time in order to dispense justice, is the most open and democratic element of the legal system. Lay magistrates are not trained as lawyers but are advised by clerks, who are trained lawyers. According to Home Office figures, in 2001 there were 30,400 lay magistrates in England and Wales, approximately 55% of whom were male and 45% female. The current percentage of magistrates from ethnic minorities is 4.5%, although ethnic minorities represented 7.6% of appointments in 1999.
