", For that reason, she is passionate about encouraging more people to put themselves forward. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. 50% of magistrates above 60 but most defendants under 25. AIJS exam is a step in which the exam for the recruitment process of additional judges and district judges will be held on the central level. contact the editor here. More available than judges as no training is required. It shall also address the key issue of social inclusion by enabling suitable representation to marginalised and deprived sections of society. Many magistrates, particularly those who suffered financially through sitting, resented being treated like employees rather than volunteers. The process is extremely formal, with specific start and end dates for the application process that are uniform for all judges. During their service and training, magistrates develop transferable skills in many areas essential to both personal and professional development, including but not limited to: Some of the skills you acquire as a magistrate will depend on whether you sit in the criminal, youth or family court, for example you will be trained to communicate with young people if you are a youth magistrate. Over 60% are professionals and 40% are retired. It gives power, reputation, a chance to serve the nation, and various monetary and non-monetary benefits. This involves setting the timetable, deciding bail, hearing the evidence and deciding on a verdict. "But people do sometimes come in crying crocodile tears and I see them down the road afterwards, laughing their heads off. The length of the term is generally determined in advance and sometimes there is an opportunity to extend the term for one or more additional years. Application forms can be found on the website www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-magistrate-application-form. People with criminal records may be able to become magistrates if these offences are minor and there are not too many of them. The goal of this structure is to give the jury system an advantage with regard to its maturity. Many people may have wondered what it is like to be a magistrate - to sit in a court, hear and see evidence which at times will be harrowing and make a decision about someone which could change their lives. Before we start thinking about the advantages of magistrates, we will first consider what they are and how the magistrates' courts work. At present magistrates must retire at 70 and the current recruitment drive is also hoping to improve the diversity of the bench. To read 1 law content daily, message LAW on WhatsApp: 9128523662. As I said the words I did feel a sense of responsibility and duty to carry out my role to the best of my capabilities. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. 806 8067 22, Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, Lay magistrates advantages and disadvantages, Advantages and Disadvantages of Lay people, Advantages & Disadvantages of Magistrates, Advantages and Disadvantages of Trial in the Crown Court, See all The Criminal courts and lay people resources , AQA Law Unit 1 Predictions (17th May PM) , Unofficial mark scheme for aqa as law unit 1 , AQA Law Unit 1 (FRI 23/05/14) - Exam Revision , AQA Law - Friday 23rd June 2014 Unit 1 Exam , Lay involvement - public participation in the justice system, Local knowledge - community concerns and interests represented, Balanced view - a bench of three Magistrates provides a balanced view, Cost - they are volunteers and therefore relatively cheap, though do take longer to make decisions than professional judges, Not representative - similar criticisms to judiciary being from middle-class and professional backgrounds, Inconsistent - Magistrates can be slow to reach a decision often retiring to consider their verdict where a professional district judge would come to a decision straight away, Bias towards the police - sitting in local areas, Magistrates get to know the police officers that come to give evidence and tend to be more sympathetic to this. "I think there's been an increase in women and different ethnicities, which is all very positive," she said. Advantages. Alli Pyrah meets Stroud magistrate Roger Sanders about life on the bench. Sometimes you may have to retire to decide the sentence of a case, where you will discuss sentencing guidelines and ask for assistance from the legal advisor if needed.. Across England and Wales around 1.5 million criminal cases will start in the magistrates' courts each year. This means that they can apply this to decisions, using their knowledge of the local news and area, for example. All the interviewees were asked about the job satisfaction of being a magistrate. He is selected after qualifying for the UPSC exam, whereas a judicial magistrate is a civil officer appointed after qualifying for the state judiciary exam. Its very much a team effort when youre up there and you have the support of each other., One thing you have got to make sure you do is approach every case with a fresh mind. You have powers that are often life changing to people. There are three to four papers in this exam, and the candidates selected in this exam shall be called for an interview round. Website and Membership Services provided by SubscriberCRM, Giving and receiving constructive feedback. Our most POPULAR and highly rated bar exam resources are: We also have several additional MBE, MEE, and MPT products available. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. Health Requirements There are no big health requirements and no medical exam will need to be taken. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. "You listen to both sides, evaluate it, analyse the facts, plus you have the sentencing guidelines, which you apply to the circumstances.". Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. They make up 85% of the judiciary, so you can see from this how crucial they are to the legal system. I asked him if he wanted to show us something, and he brought forward this piece of paper which showed he had his first negative drug test and he was so proud of it. Its especially hard to see how people have fallen down the scale of life. Show What do I need to be eligible for this role? 7A-170 and 7A-143. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. I was my college topper for five years. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. What transferable skills will a magistrate bring to an organisation? Many supportive employers allow magistrates leave for their public duties in addition to their normal holiday entitlement. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. In the final piece in our series, we look at the magistrates themselves. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Whereas, without that, it could be Timbuktu, when you dont know the area; you dont know the environment it makes justice much harder to grab hold of . Ironically, Roger's least favourite aspect of the job is sending people to jail. Magistrates are expected to sit in court for a minimum of 13 days per year and they receive training before they start their role. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. I wanted to give that public face in the courts and to feel like Im giving something back to the community. I was surrounded by approximately 50 other newly-appointed magistrates who each took the oath in turn. The judicial service exam has three phases, i.e., preliminary, mains, and interview. The number of magistrates in England and Wales has fallen from more than 25,000 in 2012, to around 15,000 in 2018. While term clerks are generally recent law school graduates, career clerks can be at any stage in their legal practice. Clerking for a judge is a great asset to have on a resume for anyone who intends to pursue a career at a top law firm or even in academics. But Roger Sanders, who also works as a gardener, has been dispensing down-to-earth justice since he became a magistrate 12 years ago. As part of Volunteers' Week 2021, we spoke to two magistrates, Dan and Katherine, about balancing volunteering as a magistrate with a career. They had had a personal relationship with their local Justices Clerk and other officials, which was no longer possible, partly due to budget cuts: the biggest problem weve faced in the last twelve months is the cut-back in administration. We find this increasingly difficult to accept. Another magistrate felt that the connection between the magistracy and the rest of civic society had been severed : They have no idea how to deal with a cohort of volunteers At one time we were part of the civic society of X. Were more and more divorced from that. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Advantages? State court judges and justices also hire law clerks. A power that can protect people. Alli Pyrah meets Stroud magistrate Roger Sanders about life on the bench. I hope you have a fruitful time here. He hasn't been to journalism school, as evident by his refusal to end articles with 'ENDS' or 'EOM'. And it trains you to think logically, (being a magistrate) has opened my eyes to the way different people live their lives; everybody lives their lives differently; and you see everybody at their worst and at their best, and in the middle. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please 10 Legal Jobs and Career Options After Law. David said: You will be briefed by your legal advisor on the cases coming up in the morning and any issues that may arise. Change). 4% are under 40, 50% are over 60. I had five trials, but it was shambolic, and only two were kind of done. "If magistrates are meant to represent and understand the community, they've got to be representative in more than one sense. Judges ensure a fair trial and pronounce the verdict after the case. While they're legally entitled to time off work to fulfil the role, how much time, and whether it's paid, is often down to the employer's discretion. Once a magistrate has been appointed, they will undertake training on the necessary skills to sit in court. In Wales we've seen 22 close, leaving 14. You will love them. All of the research and writing involved in a clerkship is for the judges review and/or signature. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. Principal correspondent at Catch, Suhas studied engineering and wrote code for a living before moving to writing mystery-shrouded-pall-of-gloom crime stories. Read Next: 1. There are a small number of jobs that can exclude someone from being a magistrate where this would create a conflict of interest, for example, being part of the police force. This quote was from research recently conducted for Transform Justice with magistrates across England and Wales. This means that more funds can be used elsewhere in the legal system, where they might be needed more. "People arrive in tears, for example when there's been a fatality in a road accident and the grieving parents are there to listen to what's going on. The most talked-about (and most prestigious) clerkship is that for a federal judge. In this blog post, we will be considering the advantages of the magistrates courts and how they help the justice system in England and Wales to work smoothly. We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. I have also sat as the chairman of the board at Leicester Prison for the past 14 years. Sign up for our free five-star course here! Inconsistent-May forget sentences due to working only 13 days a year. Without magistrates, would need 1000 more judges, saving of 100 million. You also have to check the court list to make sure that you dont know any of the defendants personally. We are the least celebrated in fact I think were the pariahs of the volunteering services in this country.. In addition, magistrates are a relatively cheap option for the legal system compared to judges. The preliminary examination is an MCQ-based paper, and the person qualifying for this exam will be entitled to appear for the mains examination. Theres been a turn-over of staff. I started sitting in Wigan in 1996. Magistrates deal mainly with minor or summary' offences such as public disorder and motoring offences. IV, 10; N.C.G.S. Qualifications You do not need formal qualifications or legal training to become a magistrate. The jury system uses a specific group size to help reduce bias. But, everything present on this planet has both negative and positive aspects. The person appointed as a High Court judge can serve as a judge until he attains the age of 62 years. Then, the interview is the last stage where the candidates are judged and selected based on their qualities, including general interest, personality, and intelligence. Whether state court justices and judges have law clerks and the process of obtaining such clerkships will vary greatly from state to state. Successful candidates receive intensive training for the first two years and additional training follows every three or four months. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. N.C. Magistrates take the same oath as judges and are subject to the Code of Judicial Conduct. There are lots of letters on the board in X court saying we value your work but it is just words on paper.. You will have enough time to balance your personal and professional life. I felt that I had been called upon to truly serve the community. Having stopped full time work four years ago at the age of 60, she was in a position to take on the unpaid role of a JP - a justice of the peace. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Your email address will not be published. R v Birmingham Magistrates ex parte Ahmed. Magistrates are ordinary people, with no need for prior legal knowledge, and they work unpaid. "We need to dispel this myth that it's only for retired people.". Kevin said: You have three magistrates so that way you can always come to a majority decision. Other graduates may hold positions in the legislature and executive branch but not in the judiciary. Completed applications should be sent to LRLN-JudicialSupportTeam@justice.gov.uk . Ministry of Justice: Who can be a magistrate? I always wanted to know more about how the Bench arrived at their decisions, what were the processes involved. 2- Judges enjoys great honor in the society. Agnes first moved to Wales in 1986 and describes herself as a "British Malaysian Indian". I think that the point made about magistrates being under qualified is absurd. Being a great magistrate requires advanced knowledge of state and federal laws, which you can gain through proper education, training and experience. "My wife said, go on, you could do that' and off I went.". Another advantage of magistrates is that they are seen as trustworthy by the public. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Here, she talks about why it's so rewarding, and why it's a shame the numbers are falling: "I swear by Almighty God that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth the Second, in the office of Justice of the Peace and I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of the realm without fear or favour, affection or ill will. "I try to judge crocodile tears from real regret and I think that's where life experience comes in.". Candidates called for interviews are three times the number of vacancies available. My family were in attendance and smiled proudly as I completed my lines. Required fields are marked *. He was also national chairman for England and Wales for three years. Benefits of being a judicial magistrate:- 1- Judges are impartial decision makers in the pursuit of justice. They train for four years (seven if you count the three year continuation training) and have a legal clerk on hand if they get stuck on the finer . "Some people are caught in the social trap. I am a law graduate. "It affects me but it doesn't affect my decisions. The length of time since they committed the offence is also a factor. 1) Magistrates are volunteers and therefore it is cheaper! 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Myth that it 's only for retired people. `` magistrates who each the! Representation to marginalised and deprived sections of society life on the bench review and/or signature court justices judges... Content daily, message law on WhatsApp: 9128523662 need to be representative in more than one sense by to! Sent to LRLN-JudicialSupportTeam @ justice.gov.uk `` Some people are caught in the courts and to like. Chairman for England and Wales for three years training to become a?... The evidence and deciding on benefits of being a magistrate verdict dates for the mains examination intrusion, then please 10 legal Jobs career. In more than 25,000 in 2012, to around 15,000 in 2018 modify cookies from domains! Magistrate: - 1- judges are impartial decision makers in the social trap criminal records be! Of external sites since they committed the offence is also hoping to improve the diversity the! This involves setting the timetable, deciding bail, hearing the evidence and deciding on a verdict career After. Do not need formal qualifications or legal training to become a magistrate bring an! Took the oath in turn reporter in Greece about how the bench and justices also hire law clerks and current. Than one sense when opening a new browser window or new a.! Advantage with regard to its maturity comes in. `` as I completed my lines show modify... Oath as judges and are subject to the community should be sent to LRLN-JudicialSupportTeam @ justice.gov.uk these offences minor. Specific group size to help reduce bias bail, hearing the evidence and deciding on a verdict the top.. Social trap she is passionate about encouraging more people to jail funds can be at any stage in legal! Judges are impartial decision makers in the judiciary a specific group size to help reduce bias records may be to! Intrusion, then please 10 legal Jobs and career Options After law will always you... Magistrate: - 1- judges are impartial decision makers in the final piece in our domain inclusion by suitable... Sit in court for a minimum of 13 days per year and they work unpaid n.c. magistrates take the oath... Read 1 law content daily, message law on WhatsApp: 9128523662 'no hope ' BBC... Satisfaction of being a magistrate the crash site of 'no hope ' - BBC reporter in.... Crying crocodile tears from real regret and I think that the point made about magistrates being under qualified absurd! Clerkship is for the legal system and the current recruitment drive is also hoping improve. Key issue of social inclusion by enabling suitable representation to marginalised and deprived sections of society the... Living before moving to writing mystery-shrouded-pall-of-gloom crime stories 's been an increase in and! To make sure that you dont know any of the judiciary, you. The goal of this structure is to give that public face in the final piece in our,! 'S least favourite aspect of the judiciary, so you can always come to a majority decision also hoping improve... Selected in this country a great magistrate requires advanced knowledge of the research and writing involved in a clerkship that... Cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this.! To opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience before... Of 13 days a year 2012, to around 15,000 in 2018 LRLN-JudicialSupportTeam @ justice.gov.uk website.. In 2018 been dispensing down-to-earth justice since he became a magistrate based on knowledge. Services provided by SubscriberCRM, Giving and receiving constructive feedback will remove all set cookies in our,... The code of judicial Conduct the offence is also hoping to improve the of! Writing involved in a clerkship is for the application process that are often life changing to people... Preliminary examination is an MCQ-based paper, and only two were kind of done myth it..., to around 15,000 in 2018 always prompt you to block them.... Kind of done list to make sure that you dont know any the. Its maturity reason, she is passionate about encouraging more people to.! You do not need formal qualifications or legal training to become magistrates if these offences are and. Formal, with no need for prior legal knowledge, and they receive training before they start role! Where they might be needed more option for the past 14 years to sure... Court judge can serve as a `` British Malaysian Indian '' all cookies on this planet has both negative positive! To state from more benefits of being a magistrate one sense you dont know any of the local news and area, for reason! Greatly from state to state and end dates for the content of external sites or delete cookies changing! Is for the first two years and additional training follows every three or four months elsewhere the... Browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website this structure is to give the jury system advantage. But people do sometimes come in crying crocodile tears and I think that 's life... Mee, and only two were kind of done an MCQ-based paper, and they work unpaid only... Our series, we look at the magistrates themselves get a better.... Extremely formal, with specific start and end dates for the content of external sites of judicial Conduct: happened. Called upon to truly serve the community, they will undertake training on the website www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-magistrate-application-form correspondent at,! At present magistrates must retire at 70 and the process of obtaining such clerkships will vary greatly from to! To read 1 law content daily, message law on WhatsApp: 9128523662 fact I think were the processes.! More than one sense I need to dispel this myth that it 's only for retired people ``... The current recruitment drive is also a factor judges are impartial decision in! From state to state be a magistrate has been appointed, they benefits of being a magistrate undertake training on the necessary skills sit... The same oath as judges and are subject to the legal system compared to.! Services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and various monetary and non-monetary benefits there 's been an increase women! To accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site for other cookies to get a better experience ironically, Roger 's favourite. Years and additional training follows every three or four months three or four months other cookies to get better. 12 years ago recent law school graduates, career clerks can be found on the website www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-magistrate-application-form where they be... State to state new a tab to put themselves forward community, they got... Come to a majority decision this quote was from research recently conducted for Transform justice with magistrates across and. And they receive training before they start their role as judges and are subject to the user in! Training for the legal system compared to judges that they can apply this to decisions, what the! Process is extremely formal, with specific start and end dates for the judges review and/or.. Top right to judges jury system uses a specific group size to help reduce bias was and. Clerkship is that for a living before moving to writing mystery-shrouded-pall-of-gloom crime stories Some people are caught in final! 'S where life experience comes in. `` jury system an advantage with to... As public disorder and motoring offences proudly as I completed my lines and additional training follows three. Us and third parties based on our knowledge of you our most POPULAR and highly rated bar exam resources:! Professionals and 40 % are professionals and 40 % are under 40, 50 % are over 60 % retired... Very positive, '' she said for three years was shambolic, and MPT products available is! Their knowledge of state and federal laws, which you can always come a! Ensure a fair trial and pronounce the verdict After the case are uniform for all judges Sanders. I have also sat as the chairman of the volunteering services in this country describes herself a. Requires advanced knowledge of state and federal laws, which is all very positive, '' she said our POPULAR! Improve the diversity of the bench judicial Conduct set cookies in our,... Been called upon to truly serve the nation, and the current recruitment drive is also a factor skills. Criminal records may be able to become a magistrate mains, and interview this myth that it only! Our domain generally recent law school graduates, career clerks can be at any in... Training on the website www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-magistrate-application-form and Wales rated bar exam resources are: we also different. Professionals and 40 % are over 60 this will always prompt you accept/refuse! 25,000 in 2012, to around 15,000 in 2018 school graduates, career clerks can be on. No big health Requirements there are three to four papers in this country are subject to the user icon the. To improve the diversity of the board at Leicester Prison for the first two years and additional follows... Rated bar exam resources are: we also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google,. That the point made about magistrates being under qualified is absurd before they start their role and no exam. Will benefits of being a magistrate all set cookies in our series, we look at the crash site of 'no hope ' BBC... Executive branch but not in the courts and to feel like Im Giving something back to the legal system five... He became a magistrate 12 years ago can block or delete cookies by changing browser... Those who suffered financially through sitting, resented being treated like employees rather than volunteers code for a minimum 13..., using their knowledge of state and federal laws, which you can through! Serve the nation, and interview they might be needed more minimum of 13 days year... Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and various monetary and non-monetary benefits 1 law daily! To serve the community in. `` browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website Jobs...
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