Page 10 - Keeping the Peace

4 Keeping the Peace – A History of Honorary Justices in Victoria
Questioning JPs
Questions about the role of the JP began to be expressed as early as 1869 when The Age newspaper found cause to raise debate about ‘the occurrence of improper, erroneous and unjust decisions by magistrates on the Petty Sessions bench, [which are] so frequent as to justify the maintenance of the old reproach about ‘Justices’ justice’.
One of the issues was the qualifications of those who took these positions. These were described by one barrister of the time as belonging in three distinct categories: ‘men of general education and position, men of wealth and a non-descript class possessing neither education nor wealth, nor exhibiting any mental or moral fitness for the position’. Appointments were made following recommendations to local councillors and tended to be rewards for political favours.
There was regular questioning of their training and qualifications as well as the methods used to ensure quality assurance. The questions became a defining part of the history of JPs as JPs sought to define their value and differentiate themselves from trained lawyers. These debates have continued to this day.