Good character

Justices of the Peace must be respected members of the community and, as such, are expected to be of "good character". Broadly speaking, this means that Justices of the Peace should demonstrate the kinds of characteristics that are expected from anyone with a highly responsible position in public life in the 21st century, and similar to the seven principles of public office which have been identified by the Committee on Standards in Public Life:

• Selflessness
• Integrity
• Objectivity
• Accountability
• Openness
• Honesty
• Leadership

There are also some circumstances where you may not be appointed even although you feel you have the necessary qualities. These include:

• Where a person's conduct casts any doubt upon their fitness to hold judicial office.
• If you have a criminal conviction, it is also possible that you will be excluded from appointment although this will be determined by the type and recency of your conviction. The Judicial Appointments Board's Statement of Principles on Criminal Convictions sets out in greater detail the circumstances under which you will not be considered for judicial appointment.