Draft:Henry Buckley (American Jurist)

Henry Randolph Buckley (born August 20, 2007) is an American jurist who became the world's youngest judge at the age of 16 years and 7 days in August of 2023.

Early life and education
Buckley was born on August 20, 2007 in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up in Hingham, Massachusetts and spent his entire childhood there. His mother was a nurse in Boston, and his father, a U.S. Coast Guard sman. He grew up very close to his grandfather, a state and local politician. , and remained close with his grandmother until her death in 2022, when he was 15 years old.

He attends Hingham High School where he is currently a Junior. He has received High Honors.

Government career
On October 19, 2021, Buckley became one of the youngest committee members in his town to serve. He was appointed to the Beautification Commission at age 14 and continues to hold that office. Since then, Buckley has served on various boards and commissions and is an active part of the Massachusetts state government.

Judicial Appointment
On August 23, 2023, Buckley was appointed a Justice of the Peace with a designation to solemnize marriages and was sworn in under the authority of Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald on October 19, 2023. He shortly became an active member of the Massachusetts Justices of the Peace Association. In Massachusetts, Justices of the Peace have the authority to call town meetings, keep the Peace, hear certain, very specific civil cases, act as a Notary Public, issue subpoenas and summonses, and in some instances, take bail and issue warrants.

In June of 2024, Henry Buckley was announced to be the world's youngest Judge by Guinness World Records.

Controversy
Almost immediately after his oath-taking, Buckley's appointment was protested by officials in his hometown of Hingham. After an informal police investigation, and attempted intervention from the Hingham police department, Buckley resigned his commission as a Justice of the Peace to prevent potential conflicts in February of 2024