You’ve probably always thought that to be a magistrate you have to have spent at least ten years at law school, have a PhD in wig-making and wear half moon glasses.
Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Justices of the Peace are all ordinary people who work for the courts on a voluntary unpaid basis - and more are needed!
There are at the moment around 30,000 magistrates regularly sitting in England and Wales. They come from all walks of life and are selected to represent every feature of our complex modern society. All races, both sexes and wherever practical people with disabilities are encouraged to come forward.
So what does it take? The work of a JP is mainly common sense. Virtually all criminal cases have their first hearings in a magistrates court and over 95 per cent of all cases are completed by magistrates - the remainder are sent to higher courts to be dealt with there. It is common sense that people who commit crimes should be deterred from doing it again, but it is also necessary to make sure that legalistic zeal does not clash with rights and freedoms of ordinary people.
In addition to criminal work, magistrates deal with a host of other concerns; licensing, issuing of warrants, family disputes, youth offenders and a range of non-police prosecutions brought by other agencies, such as overloading lorries, cruelty to animals and non payment of vehicle tax.
If you are interested in becoming a Justice of the Peace, please contact the Secretary to the Advisory Committee Pelham House St Andrew’s Lane Lewes BN7 1UN 01273 481558 tony.feek@eastsussexcc.gov.uk
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This page last updated: 12/07/2001