1. NAME
2. OBJECTS
a)
To
promote and encourage liaison between lay members throughout
b)
By
discussion and exchange of information and views to make the procedure,
treatment and penalties uniform and consistent throughout the Province.
c)
To
assist and advise in the preparation of training programmes for members.
d)
To
discuss and advise on projected legislation and changes in Youth Court and
Family Proceedings Court procedures.
e)
To
make known the work, objects and scope of Youth Courts and Family Proceedings
Courts.
f)
To
join and/or become affiliated to other similar Associations in
g)
To
promote and encourage liaison between all groups i.e. police, probation
service, social workers, etc involved in the Youth Courts and Family
Proceedings Courts.
3. MEMBERSHIP
The Association shall consist of ordinary, honorary or associate
members.
a)
Ordinary
Members
All members of the Lay Panels of the Youth Courts and Family
Proceedings Courts in
b)
Honorary
Members:
I.
Members
who have served on Panels for at least ten years AND who have rendered
outstanding service to the Association AND who have retired by virtue of age or
for other reasons acceptable to the Association shall be eligible for election
to Honorary Membership at an Annual General Meeting of the Association. Nominations
should reach the Executive Committee via the Divisional Representative, at
least three months before the AGM.
II.
Persons
who have been directly connected with the administration of the law as it
concerns the young and who may be elected at an Annual General Meeting of the
Association.
c)
Associate
Members:
Persons or associations of persons who, by their qualifications,
appointments or achievements or, in the case of associations, by their
objectives, can contribute to the work of the Association, shall be eligible
for election to associate membership at an Annual General Meeting of the
Association on payment of such annual subscription as may from time to time be
resolved at an Annual General Meeting.
d)
Loss
of Membership:
Membership is lost
I.
by
resignation in writing addressed to the Secretary or to the Executive
Committee;
II.
by
being struck off the list of members for non-payment of the subscription;
III.
by
exclusion following a decision taken by a two thirds majority of members
present, and eligible to vote, at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary
General Meeting for damaging the prestige, good name or interests of the
Association.
4. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
4.1 PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT
a)
The
Association shall have a President and a Vice-President.
b)
The
President shall be the Lord Chancellor.
c)
The
Vice-President shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting and shall hold
office for five years unless removed from office as under Section 3.d(iii).
d)
The
Vice-President will be eligible for re-election for one further period of five
years.
e)
Nominees
for the position of Vice-President must be Lay Panel Members of at least ten
years standing who have rendered outstanding service to the Association.
f)
Nominations
should reach the Executive Committee at least three months before the AGM.
g)
The
Vice-President shall deputise for the Lord Chancellor at all formal gatherings
of the Association.
h)
The
Vice-President shall take the Chair for the election of a new Chairperson.
4.2 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
a)
The
Executive Committee of the Association shall consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair,
Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and not more than nine representative
members.
b)
The
Chair and Vice-Chair shall hold office for two years. The Vice-Chair shall be
eligible for election as Chair.
c)
“In the event
of the Vice-chairman being unable, or unwilling, to go forward as Chairman the
outgoing Chairman shall be eligible for re-election for one further period of
two years”.
d)
Representative
members shall, so far as possible, be elected from each of the Crown and County
Court Divisions in
e)
The
Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall retire annually but shall be
eligible for re-election each year.
f)
One-third
of the representative members shall retire annually by rotation.
g)
“Except as allowed for in clauses (b),
(c) and (e), retiring Executive committee members shall be eligible for
re-election after a lapse of one year”.
h)
The
Executive Committee shall have power to co-opt for the remaining term of office
when an elected Executive Committee member ceases to occupy that position.
i)
Nominations
for any vacancy or vacancies in the offices of Chair, Vice-Chair, Honorary
Secretary, Honorary Treasurer or Representative Members shall be forwarded in
writing to the Honorary Secretary to reach him not later than three months
prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.
j)
The
Executive Committee shall have power to submit nominations to the Annual
General Meeting in respect of any vacancy which may occur on the Committee.
k)
The
Executive Committee and Sub-Committees shall meet at such intervals as are
deemed appropriate by the Chair, but not less than four times per year.
l)
Five
members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
m)
Membership
of the Executive Committee will be deemed to have ceased where a member is
absent from more than two meetings in a year, unless through illness, or other
valid reason.
n)
A
Member of the Executive Committee deemed to have damaged the prestige,
good name or interests of the Association may be suspended prior to a full
hearing at the next Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.
Removal from office requires a decision taken by a two thirds majority of
members present at that meeting and eligible to vote.
5. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
a)
An
Annual General Meeting shall be held between April and June each year and every
member shall receive not less than twenty-one days' notice of such meetings.
b)
An
Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened upon a request by the Committee
or upon a requisition by not less than twenty members, which requisition shall
state the business to be considered at the meeting. Such meetings shall be held
within twenty-one days of the receipt of the Notice of Requisition by the
Secretary.
c)
At
any General Meeting every ordinary paid-up member present shall have one vote.
d)
Twenty
members present shall form a quorum for a General Meeting.
e)
Decisions
shall be taken by a simple majority except as allowed for under Clauses 3.d.(iii), 4.2.(n); and 9.
f)
In
the case of an equality of votes the Chair shall have a casting vote.
6. SUBSCRIPTIONS
Ordinary Members and Associate Members shall pay such annual
subscription as may from time to time be resolved at an Annual General Meeting.
7. BANKING
ACCOUNT
a)
Subscriptions
and all other monies received by the Association shall be paid by the Treasurer
into a Bank Account in the name of the Association at the Branch of ............................. Bank Ltd or such other bank
as the Executive Committee may decide.
b)
Cheques
shall be signed by any two of three designated members of the Executive
Committee.
c)
The
accounts of the Association shall be audited and presented at the Annual
General Meeting each year.
8. EXPENSES OF MANAGEMENT
All the proper costs, charges and expenses of and incidental to
the management of the Association shall first be defrayed out of the income of
the Association
9. AMENDMENT OF RULES
These rules may be altered repealed or added to by a resolution
passed by a three-fourths majority of members present in person, and entitled
to vote, at an Extraordinary General Meeting convened for that purpose.
10. DISSOLUTION
If the Association is dissolved, any property remaining after the
satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to some
other institution or institutions having objects similar to those of the
Association.