234 THE BRITISH APPROACH TO POLITICS

are sufficiently protected.1 But if I steal his money, the law
considers that I have done something which sets a dangerous
example; by challenging the right of property, I have injured
not only so-and-so, but everyone. I shall be subjected to a
criminal prosecution; the money, if it can be found, will be
returned to its owner, but the State, representing everybody,
will inflict a further penalty. Apparently the law, unlike Shakes-
peare, regards stpalihg a purse as more serious than filching a-
good name; it^cts on the assumption that more people are likely
to be tempted by example to larceny tfcan to libel. Injuries,
therefore, become crimes when they are of such character as to
make probable a general disregard of other people's rights,
and the outraged party is not merely the immediate victim, but
the State itself. Some crimes have no immediate victim; the man
who disregards the traffic lights may be lucky enough not to
injure anyone directly, but his action is criminal because it might
easily have caused injury.

Secondly, both civil and criminal matters can be conveniently
divided into those of greater and less importance, which are dealt
with by the higher and lower courts respectively.

THE MAGISTRATES' COURT—SUMMARY JURISDICTION.

The handling of lesser criminal offences rests to a large extent
with the magistrates called Justices of the Peace. This office is
over six hundred years old, and until the I9th century
the Justices were responsible, not only for their judicial tasks,
but for much of the-work now performed by local authorities.
They are appointed by the Lord Chancellor2 on the recom-
mendation of the Lord Lieutenants of the counties; the latter,
however, are guided by the local Advisory Committees, which,
under the Lord Chancellor are the real appointers of J.P.s.
The local political party organisations are represented on the
committees, and an attempt is made to maintain some proportion

1 In certain circumstances libel can be criminal. See Ch. XVI.
8 In Lancashire by the Chancellor of the Duchy. See Ch. IV