Everything to do with the magistracy per se is as political correct as far as that terminology can be found anywhere in my limited experience. Nothing exposes this outlook on the world more than the use or non use of the word “chairman”. This is not the time nor place to delve into the etymology of the word but for those who are curious this site might be of interest.
My own curiosity in the wordform was awakened a few weeks ago with an invitation to attend later this week a training session for “chairtakers”. This was my first awareness of this form of address for those approved to sit in the middle chair. Perhaps I lead too quiet a life and should get out more.
From time to time this blog has demonstrated or tried to demonstrate the shortcomings of the system in which magistrates` courts operate. These short comings are often the result of management systems both within Her Majesty`s Courts and Tribunals Service and agencies inputting to courts` functioning not being fit for purpose. Inefficiencies seem to be tolerated or accepted as inevitable. I have mused that until the result of such inefficiencies leads to newspaper headlines of a very bad outcome as a direct result of gross error the likelihood of government to pay attention will be zero. He might not have made headlines but former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson in yesterday`s Telegraph has exposed some of the shortcomings at Westminster Magistrates` Court in a session presided over by a District Judge[MC] which Justices of the Peace face daily and about which are unable to comment publicly. Admittedly his background has coloured his comments but the 
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