criminal court work

Justice of the Peace or District Courts

A Justice of the Peace (or JP) is a lay magistrate, usually appointed from within the local community and trained in court procedure. Justices sit either alone, or in a bench of three, and deal with the less serious summary crimes. In court Justices have access to advice on the law and procedure from the Clerk of Court, who fulfils the role of legal adviser and clerk.

The Justice of the Peace can sentence an accused to a period of up to sixty days in prison or impose a fine of up to £2500.

Legal Aid may be available for District Court matters. Such grants of legal aid are difficult to obtain. The reason being that it is unlikely that cases in the District Court will deprive you of your liberty or your livelihood and rarely raise legally complex issues.

The exception to the rule are cases prosecuted under the Road Traffic Legislation, where you may be disqualified from driving either under the totting up provisions or directly. The Road Traffic Legislation is complex. You should seek advice from us without delay in such cases to ensure you are properly advised from the outset.

We provide regular representation in the following Justice of the Peace Courts:

• Campbeltown
• Lochgilphead
• Oban
• Dunoon

We can appear elsewhere, if instructed to do so.