YORK’S newest magistrates have got the seal of approval from the Queen’s legal representative in North Yorkshire and the city’s top judge.

Both the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, Richard Compton, and the Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, witnessed the two men and two women being sworn in as justices of the peace at York Magistrates Court in Clifford Street.

Chairman of the York Bench, Peter Smith, told the new recruits: “You will be part of an excellent team who come from a variety of backgrounds and have a variety of views. We all have a common aid – to administer justice as fairly as possible.”

Judge Ashurst said: “Every single case is different. Our communities require people with knowledge of the world and bags of common sense to do the justice which has traditionally been done in these courts.”

The Sheriff of York, Coun Jill Burnett, was also present as Dr Susan Grace, Philip Hilling, May Kaye and Michael Thom swore an oath of loyalty to the Queen and that they would dispense justice fairly to everyone.

They will immediately sit in the adult criminal courts.