Government to recruit thousands of volunteer magistrates to tackle court backlog

A major recruitment drive has been launched across England and Wales to recruit thousands of new volunteer judges to speed up justice for victims.

The new year initiative follows government reforms aimed at tackling the royal courts’ ongoing backlog.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) stated that more than 2,000 magistrates have been trained since 2022, and this latest initiative targets a further 2,000 volunteers in the next financial year.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice David Lammy emphasized their importance, saying: “Judges play a vital role in our court system, hearing thousands of cases and delivering justice in every jurisdiction.”

“They are everyday heroes and we need more people of all ages and backgrounds to volunteer not only to deliver justice but also to serve and represent local communities.

“Volunteering to become a judge can make a real difference to your life and the lives of others, so I urge the public to apply and do your part.”

In December Mr Lammy unveiled proposals to overhaul the court system, including increasing magistrates’ sentencing powers to imprisonment from 12 months to 18 months at present, so they could deal with more serious cases.

If necessary, the authorizations can be extended for up to 24 months.

Other plans include scrapping jury trials for some cases and instead creating new fast-track courts within crown courts where a single judge can hear cases.

The Magistrates’ Association said the move was a “huge vote of confidence” in judges but that more resources were needed for the courts, including adequately trained, well-paid paralegals and repairs to crumbling courthouses.

All judges are expected to volunteer to hear cases at least 13 days a year.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the latest figures show that 57 per cent of judges are women and 14 per cent are from ethnic minority backgrounds; except London, where the highest rate is 31 percent.

Judicial chiefs are looking for candidates with good communication skills, a sense of justice and the ability to see an argument from different sides.

Magistrates are sought after in criminal, youth, civil and family cases and have specialist legal advisors to support them in dealing with a variety of cases.

Reacting to the move, shadow justice secretary Kieran Mullan said: “David Lammy’s record as Justice Secretary is abysmal. Court backlogs have skyrocketed under his watch.”

“He is now pushing through plans to cancel jury trials, threatening a cornerstone of our legal system. This is reckless and risks undermining public trust.”

“The recruitment of thousands of new judges is welcome, but it cannot gloss over the failures of the Justice Secretary and the Labor Government, who have consistently failed to deliver meaningful reforms.”