Greater Manchester needs new magistrates

The Judiciary in Greater Manchester is appealing for magistrates in criminal and family courts.
MagistratesMagistrates
Magistrates

What magistrates do

Magistrates are volunteers who hear cases in courts in their community. They can hear cases in the criminal court, the family court, or both.

Each case is usually heard by 3 magistrates, including a magistrate who is trained to act as a chairperson.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A legal adviser in the court gives advice on the law and makes sure the magistrates follow the right procedures.

Who can be a magistrate?

You need to give up some of your spare time and not everyone can serve as a magistrate.

Qualifications

You don’t need formal qualifications or legal training to become a magistrate.

You will get full training for the role, and a legal adviser in court will help you with questions about the law.

Age

You have to be over 18 and under 65.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Magistrates must retire at 70 and are normally expected to serve for at least 5 years.

Health

You need to be able to hear clearly, with or without a hearing aid, to listen to a case.

You also need to be able to sit and concentrate for long periods of time.

Personal qualities

You need to show you’ve got the right personal qualities, for example that you are:

- aware of social issues

- mature, understand people and have a sense of fairness

- reliable and committed to serving the community

You also need to be able to:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

- understand documents, follow evidence and communicate effectively

- think logically, weigh up arguments and reach a fair decision

Good character

It’s unlikely you’ll be taken on if you have been:

- found guilty of a serious crime

- found guilty of a number of minor offences

- banned from driving in the past 5 to 10 years

- declared bankrupt

Conflicts of interest

You can’t be a magistrate if you work in one of a small number of jobs where there could be a conflict of interest - for instance if you are a police officer.

Time off for magistrate duties

You will need to be in court for at least 13 days, or 26 half-days, a year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Discuss with your employer how you will balance your work and magistrate duties.

Your employer must, by law, allow you reasonable time off work to serve as a magistrate.

You will get your rota well in advance, so you can give your employer plenty of notice of when you’ll be in court.

Pay and allowances

Magistrates are not paid, but many employers allow their employees time off with pay.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If you lose out on pay, you can claim an allowance at a set rate, as well as allowances for travel and subsistence.

Training to be a magistrate

You will need training to be a magistrate.

The training when you start will add up to about 21 hours, or 3 and a half days, as well as some meetings.

The training could take place over a long weekend, weekdays or short evening sessions over several weeks

Apply to be a magistrate here