Lord Schuster, as secretary to the Lord Chancellor for over
thirty years, should be heard with respect in anything he says about the appointment of J.P.s. One thing he has just said is that they ought not to be appointed under the age of 45 and not much over 55. On the latter figure I venture to raise doubts. No one wants benches of dodderers, but some of the most useful magistrates, par- ticularly in country districts, are men who have retired at 6o or 65 from important public offices, many of them having a legal training, and with minds and bodies still vigorous are glad to do further service as members of the unpaid magistracy. If the Commission on J.P.s puts forward any recommendation of this sort the Govern- ment will have cause to reflect a little before adopting it. Lord Addison was appointed Colonial Secretary at the age of 76 and Lord Pethick-Lawrence Secretary of State for India at 73 Their responsibilities are not substantially less than those of a country J.P.
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