The presiding officers are a magistrate and two nautical assessors (experts who have been appointed as assistant judges).

In retirement, he worked as a nautical assessor for the Wreck Commission of the Home Office.

Their business was to come down upon the consequences, and frankly, a casual police magistrate and two nautical assessors are not much good for anything else.

The face of the presiding magistrate, clean shaved and impassible, looked at him deadly pale between the red faces of the two nautical assessors.

As part of his functions, he often served as a nautical assessor in the British courts, including in the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

After finally retiring in 1932, Douglas was Acting Conservator of the River Mersey and Nautical Assessor to the House of Lords.

NAUTICAL ASSESSOR Person with marine expertise, appointed to assist a judge.

An enquiry into the wreck was commenced on 16 August under Resident Magistrate L Broad Esq and Captain Johnston, Nautical Assessor.

The admiralty action was heard by Mr. Justice Demers of the Exchequer Court of Canada (Quebec Admiralty District), assisted by two nautical assessors.

At the Marine Court Inquiry it was found That the master of the Koonya, William Madden, was primarily at fault, and the Court ordered the suspension of William Madden's master's certificate for three months, and adjudged him to pay the Nautical Assessor's fee of £3 5s.