New magistrates for Huddersfield

Jun 9 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

New magistrates for Huddersfield

NEW recruits have been sworn in as Huddersfield magistrates.

And court officials have stressed they are ordinary people from ordinary backgrounds.

The eight JPs are aged between 35 and 60 and come from a variety of professions, from an associate at a dental practice to the owner of a fish and chip shop.

The new recruits were officially sworn in during a ceremony at Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court.

During their appointment, the magistrates took their oath of allegiance and judicial oath.

The ceremony was overseen by Judge Peter Benson, who advised the new magistrates on the importance of the oath they had taken.

The new magistrates will now undergo training in all aspects of criminal procedure, sentencing and trials.

They will be able to sit on the bench straight away once the training is complete.

The JPs were chosen from 18 applicants, many of whom applied after reading in the Examiner that the Huddersfield court was looking for new recruits.

Linda Carruthers, deputy justices’ clerk at Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court, said: “The applicants went through a two-stage interview process with members of the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee.

“They look for six key qualities, such as their community awareness, reliability and whether they have good character and judgement.