DEFENCE solicitors, prosecutors, court legal advisers and colleagues paid tribute to retiring magistrate Anne Craven who has stepped down after 25 years on the bench.
The former Ribble Valley magistrate thanked them all but saved her special gratitude for the probation service which, ironically, was not represented in court.
"It is difficult to especially thank one particular group but I did want to try and thank the probation service," said Mrs Craven, who was deputy chairman of the combined Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Bench between 1994 and 1998.
"I have always felt that we give them our problems and then we go home.
"When I joined the bench in 1976 it was just after the restructuring of the courts and am leaving at a time when further reconstruction is contemplated.
"The strengths of the magistracy have been recognised and it is up to you all to justify the faith that has been placed in these courts."
Tributes were paid by Neville Cordingly, chairman of the bench, Andrew Church-Taylor on behalf of the defence solicitors and David Hartley representing the Crown Prosecution Service and Neil Lucas representing the court staff.
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