The Judiciary of England and Wales and the Ministry of Justice are issuing a fresh call for magistrates in Yorkshire in a new campaign that goes live today.
The appeal is a part of a renewed drive to encourage more people to volunteer for the magistracy across England and Wales. Magistrates need to be recruited across criminal and family courts to ensure they represent the community they serve and deliver justice*.
Magistrates come from all walks of life to sit in their local courts. During a trial, three magistrates will sit as a group in court and work together to make decisions**. This recruitment round will see the refreshed ‘I can be a magistrate’ campaign across social media, search engine results and digital audio.
Being a magistrate is a flexible part-time voluntary role that can fit around other commitments, including full-time employment. The role doesn’t require any qualifications, legal knowledge or experience. Qualities valued in a magistrate are an open mind, rational thinking and a willingness to work in a team.
Magistrates are provided with support and training needed to sit in the criminal or family court. There are a variety of cases to be heard with responsibility for deciding the best course of action. Magistrates are assigned a mentor and supported by a legal adviser, who works with them in court to help follow the correct procedures.
Developing new skills that can be taken back to personal and professional lives is just one of the benefits of becoming a magistrate. These skills include, but are not limited to, negotiation, presentation and decision-making skills, alongside the positive impact delivered to their community.
Anyone aged between 18 and 74 years old who can commit to a minimum of 13 days a year for at least five years is encouraged to register their interest***. For those in full-time or part-time employment, employers must legally allow the time off to serve as a magistrate.
Luke, who leads a team in Business Design & Optimisation at a health insurance company, has been a magistrate for 18 years. He says, “I’m really proud to be a magistrate and make a meaningful contribution to the justice system. It’s a role that enables me to make a real difference in my community and give something back. Personally, I have learned that you must look through your initial perceptions of a situation, and dig deeper to truly understand what has occurred, why, and its impact. Through doing this you can be assured you are making a well-informed decision, both inside the court room as a magistrate, as well as outside within your personal/professional life. Anyone can apply to become a magistrate and it’s integral that the bench is representative of the community it serves. So, if you’re driven by fairness, I’d really encourage you to find out more and apply when opportunities are available.”
To find live vacancies in Yorkshire or to register your interest, visit Magistrates Recruitment – Volunteer as a magistrate (judiciary.uk)
*Only criminal court magistrates deliver sentences. They can sentence people for up to six months for a single offence. While family magistrates don’t pass sentences, they do make decisions that affect vulnerable children, support separated parents in making arrangements for their children, enforce child maintenance orders, and help prevent domestic abuse.
**In court, magistrates work as a bench of three, made up of two wingers and a presiding justice who receives special training to act as chair. All three magistrates contribute to the decision-making equally, and are supported by a legal adviser, but it is only the presiding justice who speaks in court.
***Please note, that the mandatory retirement age for magistrates is 75, and that magistrates are expected to sit for a minimum of 5 years. It may take 12 to 18 months for your application to reach appointment. If you are close to the mandatory retirement age, please consider this before applying. Please note also there are mandatory training days for magistrates on top of the 13 day minimum sittings.
