Government Launches Drive to Recruit 2,000 New Magistrates to Tackle Court Backlog
The government has launched a drive to recruit 2,000 new magistrates in the next financial year in an effort to address the court backlog and speed up access to justice. Since 2022, more than 2,000 magistrates have been trained, and the Ministry of Justice aims to recruit a similar number in the upcoming year.
This recruitment drive forms part of wider reforms that include plans to limit jury trials, which aim to improve efficiency and reduce delays in the justice system. Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy emphasized the importance of magistrates, urging diverse volunteers to serve their local communities.
New magistrates are expected to volunteer at least 13 days per year, with roles covering criminal, youth, civil, and family proceedings, as well as specialist legal adviser positions. Current magistrate demographics show 57% are female and 14% come from ethnic minority backgrounds, with London having a notably higher ethnic minority representation at 31%.
The reforms also include increasing magistrates' sentencing powers from 12 months to up to 18 months to enable them to handle more serious cases. However, the move to scrap many jury trials has faced criticism from Shadow Justice Minister Kieran Mullan, who described it as reckless and warned it could undermine public confidence in the system.
