Commentary on Sections: Part 2 Lay Justices Section 16: Records of lay justices
59.This section makes similar provision to section 25 of the JPA 1997, that the Lord Chancellor appoint keepers of the rolls to keep records of local lay magistrates. The statute has been modified, however, to accord with the changes to geographical administrative boundaries brought about by this Act.
60.As this Act abolishes commission areas, a keeper of the rolls must be appointed for each local justice area rather than each commission area. The Lord Chancellor may (and it is envisaged that he will) appoint the same person to be keeper of the rolls for more than one local justice area.
61.The requirement that the appointee be a justice has been removed, as there are no longer any offices whose holders are ex-officio justices (traditionally appointees to these posts would have been ex-officio justices by virtue of holding high office).
62.A further effect of the repeal of the JPA 1997, and the provision of this section, is to transfer the current responsibilities of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, in respect of keepers of the rolls within the Duchy, to the Lord Chancellor.