Criminal Justice Administration Act 1962
Encyclopedia
The Criminal Justice Administration Act 1962 (c.15) was an Act
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
that modified the jurisdiction and process of the English criminal courts.
, which recommended changes to speed up criminal trials and reduce the long waiting times between hearings and trials. The Criminal Justice Administration Bill received strong support in both the House of Commons and House of Lords, allowing it to examine a variety of criminal justice problems. The Act was finally repealed in 1981 by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1981.
Section 1 of the Act increased the number of judges in the High Court of Justice
from 48 to 53. 3 of the new judges were immediately assigned to the Queen's Bench Division, with the remaining two assigned to the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division. This provision sparked off debate in Parliament about the system of judicial appointments, particularly whether the increasing number of judges meant a dilution of the quality of the source (barrister
s) and if allowing solicitor
s to become members of the senior judiciary would be a good idea. This debate went no further at the time, however, and the only other changes relating directly to the judiciary were to abolish the practice of making Recorder
s pay for their own deputies.
Section 4 of the Act allowed for Quarter Sessions
to sit continuously, not 4 times a year (once each "quarter"), although the minimum number of sitting remained as 4. This part of the Act also abolished the Quarter Sessions Appeal Committee, with appeal work being handled by the Quarter Sessions alone. The Act also allowed a Chairman of a Quarter Session outside London to deal with a case on his own if no other judges were available, something intended to help in places like Kent where Quarter Sessions were almost permanently in session and the lay justices tended to lose their enthusiasm. The Act also extended the jurisdiction of Quarter Sessions to cover bigamy, poaching and certain sexual offences, while Magistrates' Courts were given the ability to deal with certain burglary offences.
Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom
An Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom is a type of legislation called primary legislation. These Acts are passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster, or by the Scottish Parliament at Edinburgh....
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
that modified the jurisdiction and process of the English criminal courts.
Act
The Act was introduced in reaction to the report of the Streatfeild Committee on the Business of the Criminal CourtsStreatfeild Committee on the Business of the Criminal Courts
The Streatfeild Committee on the Business of the Criminal Courts was a British committee set up to investigate the workings and process of the criminal courts in England and Wales...
, which recommended changes to speed up criminal trials and reduce the long waiting times between hearings and trials. The Criminal Justice Administration Bill received strong support in both the House of Commons and House of Lords, allowing it to examine a variety of criminal justice problems. The Act was finally repealed in 1981 by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1981.
Section 1 of the Act increased the number of judges in the High Court of Justice
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
from 48 to 53. 3 of the new judges were immediately assigned to the Queen's Bench Division, with the remaining two assigned to the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division. This provision sparked off debate in Parliament about the system of judicial appointments, particularly whether the increasing number of judges meant a dilution of the quality of the source (barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
s) and if allowing solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
s to become members of the senior judiciary would be a good idea. This debate went no further at the time, however, and the only other changes relating directly to the judiciary were to abolish the practice of making Recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
s pay for their own deputies.
Section 4 of the Act allowed for Quarter Sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
to sit continuously, not 4 times a year (once each "quarter"), although the minimum number of sitting remained as 4. This part of the Act also abolished the Quarter Sessions Appeal Committee, with appeal work being handled by the Quarter Sessions alone. The Act also allowed a Chairman of a Quarter Session outside London to deal with a case on his own if no other judges were available, something intended to help in places like Kent where Quarter Sessions were almost permanently in session and the lay justices tended to lose their enthusiasm. The Act also extended the jurisdiction of Quarter Sessions to cover bigamy, poaching and certain sexual offences, while Magistrates' Courts were given the ability to deal with certain burglary offences.