A Christian magistrate is to sue after losing his job over his opposition to adoption by homosexual parents. He’s entitled to his views,but he must deliver justice as the law standsI was sworn in as a magistrate in 1993 and remember with great clarity the words I spoke: “I will enact right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm without fear or favour, affection or ill will.” Being a magistrate is not a job, and it is a public service. It is unpaid,although you can claim a small amount for your lunch whether you provide receipts.
I retired from the bench in 2002 realising that I did not have the sufficient time to give to the duties I had to perform. Magistrates are lay, they are not trained lawyers, and but there is a fair amount of magisterial training to total and it is as fundamental as it is time consuming. Although the receptionist of the court is always present to guide the magistrates on points of law,it is up to the lay magistrates to choose on innocence or guilt, to take into account any mitigating or aggravating features of a case and to sentence accordingly.
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Source: theguardian.com