JCIO 31/22

     

A spokesperson for the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said:

Mr Justice Keehan, on behalf of the Lord Chief Justice and with the Lord Chancellor’s agreement, has issued Stevan Marvin JP of the Nottinghamshire bench with a formal warning for misconduct.

The declaration and undertaking signed by magistrates on appointment includes a commitment to report involvement, in any capacity, in impending civil or criminal proceedings. Magistrates must also act in ways that preserve public confidence in judicial impartiality. This includes not trying to use their judicial position to gain influence.

The Midlands Conduct Advisory Committee received a report that Mr Marvin attended a court in which he sits as a magistrate to support a relative who had been charged with a criminal offence. While at court, he was found to have entered a restricted part of the courthouse where he spoke to magistrates who were listed to hear his relative’s case. He also spoke to another of the magistrates outside court and tried to speak to a judge to whom the case was to be transferred. Mr Marvin denied that he had tried to influence the case but accepted that he should not have spoken to the magistrates listed to hear it.

In deciding to issue Mr Marvin with a formal warning, Mr Justice Keehan and the Lord Chancellor agreed with the findings of an advisory committee conduct panel that Mr Marvin had failed to comply with his obligation to report his involvement in his relative’s case. And when at court, he acted in a way that risked undermining public confidence in judicial impartiality. However, they also took into consideration that Mr Marvin appeared to be genuinely sorry for his actions, had been suffering from ill health at the time, and had a lengthy record of good service.

Notes for Editors

 

Media queries in relation to the JCIO should be made in the first instance to the Judicial Press Office - telephone 020 7073 4852 or via email - press.enquiries@judiciary.gsi.gov.uk

Sanctions for misconduct by judicial office-holders are set out in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. They are, in order of severity: formal advice, formal warning, reprimand and removal from office.

For more information about the Office, including details on how to make a complaint against a judicial office holder, you can visit the JCIO website at: Judicial Conduct Investigations website