Secretary appointed a committee to inquire into the exercise of summary jurisdiction in the Metropolitan Police Court District. The Council nominated a representative, who submitted to the committee that in London more cases could be heard by lay magistrates. He thought there would be no objection to lay magistrates siting in the same buildings and using the same staffs as the Metropolitan stipendiary magistrates and that indeed some advantages would accrue from the adoption of that suggestion.
He also thought that it would be desirable for solicitors to be appointed to the office of clerk in the Metropolitan police courts; and that a compulsory superannuation scheme for all magistrates' clerks in the Metropolis should be agreed upon, In February las a memorandum Signed by several solicitor justices' clerks setting out reasons against the appointment of whole-time justice clerks was considered by the Council, who were asked to express an opinion on the desirability of retaining the present system of appointing part-time clerks, The Council arrived at the conclusion that the various reasons advanced in it provided justification for retaining the present System.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.