... minimum amount to pay for a stipendiary judge per year is around £80,000, which is a huge amount compared to the amount of money the state pays out towards lay magistrates. If professional judges were to be used, then the cost of magistrates would increase a lot. Another factor in weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of replacing lay magistrates with professional magistrates is the idea of time. When magistrates are present in court, it takes a long time for anything to get done. This is mainly down to the lack of experience a lay magistrate has in court, and their lack of knowledge in law. It takes twice as long for the magistrates to make a decision as well, as the court clerk has to advise the magistrates upon what the appropriate jurisdiction is. This wasting of time can cost the court a lot of money, and often causes other ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now