Section 48 Independence of justices’ clerks and staff exercising legal functions.F1

England and Wales

(1)

When exercising any legal function—

(a)

a justices’ clerk shall not be subject to the direction of the justices’ chief executive or any other person or body; and

(b)

a member of the staff of a magistrates’ courts committee shall not be subject to the direction of any person or body other than a justices’ clerk.

(2)

In subsection (1) “legal function” means—

(a)

any function exercisable by one or more justices of the peace; or

(b)

a function specified in section 45(4) or (5) above.

Annotations

F1: S. 48 and sidenote substituted (27.9.1999) by 1999 c. 22, ss. 89(1) (with Sch. 14 para. 7(2)); S.I. 1999/2657, art. 2(c)(iii)

F1: Act repealed (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), ss. 6(4), 109(3), 110(1), Sch. 10; S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(aa) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2005/911)