[olduser]

I came across this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx276qevpg6o

Look out!

[Mark07]

Slightly different, but this article signposts useful information about Parking Fines (PCN) and how to appeal.

[Rolebama]

This post reminded me of a text my daughter received a few weeks back:

[Drivingforfun]

I'm sure there is a legal loophole but it seems strange that it's legal to allow someone to forfeit their chance of a "trial" if they agree to pay a lesser punishment

It reminds me of medieval poachers who had to lose a hand but if caught were offered the chance to save a trial and have a finger chopped off on the spot

A bit less extreme though!!!! 🙃

[Rolebama]

I once knew 2 JPs, who sat on the bench as Magistrates. One was a retired dentist and the other a retired bank manager. It was quite noticeable that they had no worldly wisdom and yet they would sit in judgment on others. When I sat in the back of their courts it was obvious they relied quite heavily on the Clerk of the Court for guidance. I think I would accept an FPN rather then be 'judged' by either of them.

[Drivingforfun]

I have a couple of relatives who worked in law enforcement and such and they were quite dismissive of magistrates' abilities. I think most are of a certain class and demographic and often don't understand the experiences of the types of people that commit the crimes. Not that it works the other way round either - I'm aware the lack of understanding of people with different experiences is mutual

I almost got to become a magistrate when I was an early 20s year old on benefits and wanted to do something, not sure if that would have been a good or a bad thing as would have brought someone a bit different to the usual middle class people on the board. I obviously had zero life experience but maybe that's useful, as would've been a kind of blank mind, free of the prejudices that decades of experience brings?

[olduser]

In their day, magistrates were an extension of the local Lord/landowner.
In theory, he had local knowledge so would know of the local poacher family anyone with that name had to be bad, if they were guilty was not questioned, just how to punish them was the question.

This gradually changed to the local great and the good, still no question of guilt because the police knew who was bad and who was good, and the police had to be supported, just in case.

Magistrates still exists, because justice costs money, and magistrates cost less, in fairness there are a few that try very hard but the system in the main overwhelms them.