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JCIO 88/25
Date: 18 March 2026
A spokesperson for the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said:
The Lord Chancellor, with the Lady Chief Justice’s agreement, has removed Mr Kenneth Joe, of the South London Local Justice Area, from office for failure, without a reasonable excuse, to meet the minimum sittings required of a magistrate.
Facts
On appointment, magistrates sign a declaration and undertaking which includes a commitment to sit for at least 13 days (or 26 half days) a year. If they fail to do so without an acceptable reason, they are expected to resign. They are also expected to keep in regular contact with their bench and be able to demonstrate commitment to their judicial role.
The summary process in the Judicial Conduct (Magistrates) Rules 2023 enables a regional conduct advisory committee secretary to recommend a magistrate’s removal from office without further investigation where that magistrate has failed, without a reasonable excuse, to meet their minimum sittings requirement.
The London Conduct Advisory Committee (LCAC) recommended Mr Joe’s removal from office after he failed to meet the minimum sittings requirement for 2024/2025. Mr Joe had also not met his minimum sittings requirement for 2022/23 and 2023/24, including where the sittings requirement had been adjusted on a pro rata basis to account for an authorised leave of absence.
Mr Joe’s representations
In response to the LCAC’s recommendation to remove him, Mr Joe indicated that he had been managing significant personal and professional challenges and responsibilities, which made it difficult for him to complete the required number of magistrate sittings. Mr Joe expressed disappointment at the level of pastoral support offered. Mr Joe also stated that he felt that the process relating to sitting requirements does not fully account for the unique barriers immigrants face, such as lack of local family support, demanding work conditions, and financial limitations. He felt that this may send a discouraging message to others from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds who wish to serve. Mr Joe stated that he remains committed to public service and to the principles of justice that underpin the legal system.
Decision
Having considered Mr Joe’s representations, the Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice agreed with the LCAC’s recommendation to remove Mr Joe from office without further investigation. In doing so, they agreed with the LCAC that Mr Joe had not met the minimum sittings requirement in 2024/25 and had also failed to meet the applicable sittings requirement in the two preceding years. They took into account that Mr Joe had not maintained proper contact with his bench chair, had not pursued the options offered by his bench chair to address his difficulties in meeting the sittings requirement, and had not addressed how he would achieve the sittings requirement in future.
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
