clerk of the peace

Former local government and judicial official in England and Wales. Clerks of the peace held the office of clerk to the county council and in many cases were also clerks to the justices and quarter sessions. In their local government role they were the chief executive officer of the county council and in their judicial role they were responsible for maintaining the records of quarter sessions and advising the justices on the law relating to cases before them.

Clerks of the peace were normally solicitors by profession. Under the Courts Act of 1971 quarter sessions were replaced by crown courts and the judicial functions of the clerks of the peace were transferred to the newly created clerks of the crown court. Clerks of the peace retained their local government function, but following the local government reorganization in 1974 their role was in many cases either superseded by or subsumed in the post of chief executive to the council.