Magistrates need urgent support to thrive

The Magistrates’ Association, which serves as the membership body for magistrates in England and Wales, released a critical report outlining the unrecognised obstacles and costs associated with volunteering as a magistrate. The document, titled ‘Magistrates matter: A plan to ensure magistrates are valued, appreciated, and recognised’, draws on the experiences of its members and warns that these issues could hinder the government's ambitions to alleviate the significant backlog of criminal cases.

Mark Beattie JP, national chair of the Magistrates’ Association, highlighted the importance of magistrates in the justice system saying “The criminal justice system relies on our volunteer magistrates, who handle over 90 per cent of all criminal cases, and it is fair to say that without them, the system would grind to a halt.” Despite their essential role, unpaid magistrates often face neglect and a lack of recognition, leading to increased resignations. Beattie pointed out that while many magistrates are driven by a desire to serve their communities, "a lack of support, financial strain, time pressures and insufficient recognition all make volunteering as a magistrate increasingly difficult.”

The report draws attention to the government’s goal of increasing the number of magistrates from 14,000 to over 20,000 amid ongoing pressures within the justice system. However, it argues that the hidden costs associated with service particularly deter underrepresented groups, including young people and those with caring responsibilities. The national chair expressed concerns that this could undermine efforts to diversify the magistracy, adding “This goes against maintaining a diverse magistracy, threatens to undo the good work of the government’s recruitment campaign to recruit thousands more magistrates, and undermines local justice.”

In response to these findings, the Magistrates’ Association has issued seven recommendations aimed at enhancing the recruitment and retention of magistrates. Beattie stated, “That is why this Volunteers’ Week we launched our report to call for a fundamental shift in the strategy for the recruitment and retention of magistrates.” Among the key recommendations are the creation of a Magistrates’ Volunteer Charter to establish clear roles and expectations, the introduction of an annual Magistrates’ Attitude Survey to monitor morale, and a formal mechanism for tracking volunteers’ hours to illustrate their contributions.

Moreover, the report advocates for empowering local representatives, such as High Sheriffs and Lord-Lieutenants, to lead local appreciation efforts and proposes the introduction of a Magistrates’ Long Service Medal to honour ten years of service. The association believes that acknowledging the contributions of magistrates is essential to preserving the integrity of the justice system and fostering a robust community of volunteers.

As the Magistrates’ Association underscores the fragility of the magistracy, Beattie concluded by saying, “The magistracy has proved its resilience time and again. But at the same time, it is fragile. It is powered by goodwill, and that goodwill needs to be nurtured, not taken for granted.” The association’s call for fundamental reform reflects not just a need for change, but a plea for the recognition and support that volunteer magistrates rightly deserve.