Overview
- The Ministry of Justice aims to add around 2,000 volunteer magistrates in the next financial year, matching the more than 2,000 trained since 2022 to speed up case handling.
- Plans tied to the drive would raise magistrates’ sentencing powers from 12 to 18 months, with the option to extend to 24 months if required.
- A proposal to end automatic jury trials for offences likely to attract sentences of three years or less has prompted criticism, including opposition from 38 Labour MPs.
- Applicants are asked to volunteer at least 13 days a year across criminal, youth, civil and family cases, with specialist legal advisers supporting decision‑making.
- The Magistrates’ Association welcomed the recruitment as a vote of confidence but urged investment in well‑paid legal advisers and repairs to court buildings; current MoJ data show 57% of magistrates are female and 14% are from ethnic minority backgrounds, rising to 31% in London.