Q1. Identify the court visited and describe its general role in the English legal system? The court we visited on the 22ndoctober2014 was the magistrate court of Uxbridge. There are over 350 magistrates courts in England and Whales. Their jurisdiction dates back to the thirteenth century and they are rooted in the local justice system. Most of the work carried out by them is criminal and also a little of civil as family or youth matters. Magistrates courts have a significant civil jurisdiction. They hear family proceedings under the magistrate courts and domestic proceedings act 1978 and the children act 1989. The court is also termed as a family proceedings court. The magistrate court deals with adoption, application of residence, contract order and maintenance relating to spouses and children. These courts also have the power to make personal protection orders and exclusion orders in cases of domestic violence. They have powers of recovery in relation to council tax and charges for water, gas and electricity. As detailed before a Magistrate court deals with both civil and criminal cases. A magistrate sees through cases like traffic offences, common assault, taking a motor vehicle or any property with consent, magistrate court goes through criminal cases but their power in this is limited. This court also deals with shoplifters, minor criminal damage, drunk and disorderly and drug offences. Magistrates play a role of judge and jury combined, in that they apply the law and determine the facts in each case. After the have reached a verdict in criminal cases the pass a sentence which can be a maximum of 12 months in custody and a 5000 fine. The magistrates pass along cases like robbery, rape and murder to the crown courts. Although magistrates sentencing powers are not as great as those of judges in crown courts, the have a major impact on the English justice system because they deal with a larger caseload. In magistrates court the defendant may hire a solicitor or barrister to represent him, which is often paid for by the state. A youth court is also a part of magistrates court it is a special type of magistrates court for people aged between 10 and 17. A youth court either has 3 magistrates or a district judge and it does not have a jury .The only person allowed it the lawyer and a parent or guardian is allowed to accompany the minor. There are some differences as the person is a minor he/she is called by their first name instead of defendant. A youth court deals with cases like, theft and burglary, anti-social behavior and drugs offences. The court can give a range of sentences including community sentences or detention and training orders carried out in secure centers for young people. If you disagree with the courts verdict, you are allowed to appeal. Q2. How is the court funded? The civil and family courts in England and Wales are self-financing and are mostly funded by court fees paid by those people using court services. The cost of running the civil and family courts is currently some 619m a year. Of this amount, 82 % is funded through court fees. The remaining 18 % is met by the general taxpayer as part of the resource budget of the Ministry of Justice. The court fees go towards financing these things in courts accommodation (court buildings) , furnishings, running court buildings , salaries and expenses court staff, information technology ,telephone systems, new and on-ongoing maintenance, stationery and office equipment . Q3. Explain the role(s) of the court officials? Magistrates are also knows as Justices of the Peace, they are local people whose services are used voluntarily. They do not need formal legal qualifications, but have gone through a training programme which includes court and prison visits to develop the important skills. They are given legal and procedural advice by qualified clerks. They deal with less serious criminal cases such as minor theft, public disorder, motoring offences and criminal damage. Magistrates are also responsible for granting search warrants to the police and some other authorities, therefore it is a important that they live within a 15 m