{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-size-and-chairmanship-of-bench-rules-2002/article-14",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-size-and-chairmanship-of-bench-rules-2002/article-14.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2002/193",
  "legislation_title": "The Justices of the Peace (Size and Chairmanship of Bench) Rules 2002",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-size-and-chairmanship-of-bench-rules-2002",
  "path": "article/14",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "14",
  "heading": "Constitution of Bench Training and Development Committee",
  "text": "(1) The justices for each petty sessions area shall establish a Bench Training and Development Committee, the membership of which shall, in accordance with this rule, rotate by one third in each calendar year.\n(2) The membership of the BTDC shall consist of three, six, or nine justices for the petty sessions area, appointed in accordance with this rule.\n(3) The justices shall decide at the election meeting in 2002 the number of members of the BTDC.\n(4) At any election meeting held after 2002, the justices may, subject to paragraph (2), decide that the number of members of the BTDC shall be more or less than previously decided.\n(5) Members of the BTDC appointed in 2002 shall hold office for a term beginning on 1st January 2003 and ending on—\n(a) 31st December 2003 in the case of one third of the members;\n(b) 31st December 2004 in the case of one third of the members; and\n(c) 31st December 2005 in the case of the remaining third of the members.\n(6) Except as mentioned in paragraphs (5), (7), (8), (16) and (17), a member of the BTDC shall be appointed to hold office for a term of three years beginning on 1st January following his appointment.\n(7) If the justices decide to increase or decrease the number of members of the BTDC in accordance with paragraph (4)—\n(a) all existing members of the BTDC shall retire at the end of the year in which the decision is made;\n(b) members of the BTDC appointed in that year shall hold office from 1st January in the following year for the following periods (subject to paragraph (8))—\n(i) one year, in the case of one third of the members;\n(ii) two years, in the case of one third of the members; and\n(iii) three years, in the case of the remaining one third of the members.\n(8) If, on a date before the end of the period specified in paragraph (6) or (as the case may be) paragraph (7)(b), the member would have served as a member of the BTDC for periods totalling nine years, that member’s term of office shall end on that date.\n(9) At each election meeting the justices shall either—\n(a) proceed at the meeting to elect the members of the BTDC; or\n(b) choose a panel of justices who shall within a period of 28 days of the meeting select the members of the BTDC.\n(10) A member of the BTDC shall be eligible for reappointment if, at the end of his most recent term of office, he will have served as a member of the BTDC for periods totalling less than nine years.\n(11) Members of the BTDC who take office on 1st January 2003 (and where paragraph (7) applies, on 1st January in the year on which the members' terms of office begin) shall hold a meeting as soon as practicable.\n(12) At that meeting the length of the terms of office of those members, subject to paragraphs (5) and (7), may be agreed between them, and if not agreed, shall be determined by lot conducted by the justices' chief executive.\n(13) At the first meeting of the BTDC after 1st January in each year, the members of the BTDC shall appoint a chairman to hold office until 31st December of that year.\n(14) Any casual vacancy shall be filled as soon as practicable in accordance with the method of filling casual vacancies agreed at the preceding election meeting.\n(15) If, but for paragraph (8), a member would have been appointed for a longer term, a casual vacancy shall arise when that member’s term of office ends.\n(16) A member appointed to fill a casual vacancy (other than one described in paragraph (15)) shall serve only for the remaining part of the period for which the member he replaced was appointed.\n(17) A member appointed to fill a casual vacancy described in paragraph (15) shall serve for the remaining part of such period as the member he is replacing would, but for paragraph (8), have been appointed.\n(18) Any period served by virtue of paragraphs (16) and (17) shall not count towards the period of nine years' service referred to in paragraphs (8) and (10).\n(19) The justices for two petty sessions areas which share a justices' clerk may establish a combined BTDC and—\n(a) the provisions of this rule shall apply to such a BTDC as they apply to a BTDC for a single petty sessions area, subject to such modifications to paragraphs (9) and (14) as are agreed by the justices for the petty sessions areas concerned; and\n(b) the justices for the petty sessions areas concerned shall decide the number of members of the combined BTDC.\n(20) Three members of the BTDC shall constitute a quorum, except if there is an emergency when two members shall constitute a quorum.\n(21) The justices' chief executive and the justices' clerk may attend the meetings of the BTDC and act in an advisory capacity only.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/193/article/14",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T07:16:08.613732+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}