THE end of an era has been marked at a court, following the retirement of Jim Dunn. He talks about his years as a magistrate in Barrow.

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MAGISTRATES, staff, solicitors and probation service workers packed into a courtroom to say farewell to a popular colleague who served as the final chairman of Furness and District Bench.

Jim Dunn was chairman of the bench, based at Barrow Magistrates’ Court in Abbey Road, until it merged earlier this year with the South Lakes bench in Kendal.

The new South Cumbria Bench sits at both Barrow and Kendal courthouses.

Mr Dunn, who has retired as a magistrate after turning 70 - the compulsory retirement age for justices - served at the Barrow court for 36 years.

And as well as being the Furness bench's final chairman, he holds the honour of having been the youngest-serving magistrate in the county, when he was appointed at the age of 33 in 1979.

A former apprentice training instructor at the then VSEL shipyard in Barrow, Mr Dunn, who holds degrees from Huddersfield and Lancaster universities, most latterly taught maths and physics at Alfred Barrow School.

He was proposed as a magistrate by the Knights of St Columba organisation, recalling: "In those days, magistrates were put forward by their communities, not like today when individuals apply to the Ministry of Justice.

"The chairman of the bench, Major Sandys, came to my house and interviewed me in the front room.

"It was all a lot less formal those days than it is now."

Despite having been chosen by Major Sandys, Mr Dunn's appointment to the bench was not all plain sailing, because his boss at the shipyard didn't want to spare him from work in order to sit in court.

Mr Dunn said: "The local MP, Albert Booth, had to get involved - and so did the eventual chairman of British Shipbuilders, Sir Robert Atkinson, who wrote to my boss to tell him he had to let me become a magistrate, as it was important for the community."

Since his appointment, Mr Dunn has enjoyed a varied career on the bench, starting as a "winger" on the adult bench.

As well as becoming a chairman of the adult bench, he has served on the licensing committee and as a chairman of the youth panel.

He became chairman of the Furness bench in 2013.

He said: "It has been an incredibly rewarding thing to do. I'd never really thought about it at all, but when I became a magistrate I found it really interesting and I realised how serious it is.

“In our justice system the best – but more often the worst – of people’s lives are exposed and played out. Magistrates work hard at the process of reaching a just outcome while preserving the dignity of the defendant.

"Magistrates never enjoy sending anyone to prison but I remember a senior judge saying to me once 'always consider the victims'; and that always stuck in my mind.

"I think a community is well-served when the right decision is made and when justice is seen to be done.

"The courts are the ultimate protection the community has.

"It's easy for people to criticise but when you're there and you see the effect on people's lives, you have to think about the protection of society and of the community."

Reflecting on his years as a magistrate, Mr Dunn praised his colleagues on the bench and within the court system.

And he welcomed the news that Barrow is the most efficient court in England and Wales out of 135 courts, with an average time taken for a case to be dealt with of just 37 days, compared to the national average of 149 days.

Mr Dunn said: "The magistrates care deeply about the work they do - and they do it as people who aren't legally trained professionals.

"Our quality of magistrates is first class. We also have a superb legal team led by Will Lawrenson.

"The work of the team is reflected in the excellent performance of Barrow court."

Mr Lawrenson, the legal team manager for south Cumbria, who is based at the law courts in Abbey Road, Barrow, has paid tribute to Mr Dunn's dedication during his 36 years a magistrate.

He said: "When I first met Jim I was immediately set at ease by his kindness and sense of humour.

"While taking the business as seriously as anyone else, he always found time for a joke and would make everyone feel welcome. 'Come on, Sunshine' is still my favourite invitation into the retiring room!

"Jim's enthusiasm for the business of the court and the care for the welfare of the staff here is something that nobody here at the court will forget."

Mr Dunn, who has lived in Barrow all his life, was recently widowed, following the death of his wife of 47 years, Ann.

The couple have two daughters, Lisa and Nicola. As well as having been the final chairman of the Furness bench, Mr Dunn has created another legacy for the town he loves.

A keen amateur poet, an excerpt from his poem about Barrovians, A Breed Apart, is carved into the stone slabs surrounding the Spirit of Barrow statue at the top of Portland Walk.