Part VIIE+W Miscellaneous and Supplementary Provisions

64 Disqualification in certain cases of justices who are members of local authorities. E+W

(1)A justice of the peace who is a member of a local authority . . . F1shall not act as a member of the Crown Court or of a magistrates’ court in any proceedings brought by or against, or by way of appeal from a decision of, the authority or any committee or officer of the authority.

(2)For the purposes of subsection (1) above—

(a)any reference to a committee of a local authority includes a joint committee, joint board, joint authority or other combined body of which that authority is a member or on which it is represented; and

(b)any reference to an officer of a local authority refers to a person employed or appointed by the authority, or by a committee of the authority, in the capacity in which he is employed or appointed to act.

[F2(2A)For the purposes of subsections (1) and (2) above, the Broads Authority shall be treated as a local authority.]

(3)A justice of the peace who is a member of the Common Council of the City of London shall not act as a member of the Crown Court or of a magistrates’ court in any proceedings brought by or against, or by way of appeal from a decision of, the Corporation of the City or the Common Council or any committee or officer of the Corporation or Common Council; and subsection (2) above shall apply for the purposes of this subsection, with the substitution, for references to a local authority, of references to the Corporation or the Common Council.

(4)Nothing in this section shall prevent a justice from acting in any proceedings by reason only of their being brought by a police officer.

(5)No act shall be invalidated by reason only of the disqualification under this section of the person acting.

[F3(6)In this section “local authority” means a local authority within the meaning of the Local Government Act M11972 or the Local Government (Scotland) Act M21973, . . . F4and a joint authority established by Part IV of the Local Government Act 1985 [F5and a housing action trust established under Part III of the Housing Act 1988].]