'Should a magistrate have a degree in the law? Should they be able to pass criminal sentences without one? James Kendrick, an expert in early modern magistrates discusses these questions which have raged for centuries. He addresses the history of the education of magistrates over centuries, and their continued important to the local courts, law, and order. Video by: James Hoare TV @www.linkedin.com/in/jameshoare9 James Kendrick is a fourth-year PhD History student at Nottingham Trent University. His current research focuses on Justices of the Peace in Elizabethan Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire 1558-1603. In particular, what factors influenced whom was appointed a JP, including: wealth, education, geography, alliances, family, and religion. In the last two years he has presented at more than a dozen historical conferences around the UK, presenting papers on: Justices of the Peace, Catholic survival in Elizabethan England, and the effects of inflation on the gentry class. He had recently published an article in History Today around the controversial 1593 Nottinghamshire Election, and is currently writing articles focusing on subjects like the emotional expression of regret in the Reformation, and the importance of JPs to understanding Early Modern England. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx