Magistrates take the same oath as judges and are subject to the Code of Judicial Conduct. The number of candidates selected in this round depends upon the vacancies available at that time. The appointment of judges depends upon the vacancies available. Not representative - similar criticisms to judiciary being from middle-class and professional backgrounds For Roger, the most satisfying aspect of the job is making sure everyone gets a fair hearing. A Gannett Company. A woman described a day in court, which she had taken off work : today I sat at X and spent most of the time doing nothing, because of the administration of the courts. However, they must have six key qualities: Good Character; Commitment and Reliability; Social Awareness; Sound Judgement; Understanding and Communication; and Maturity and Sound Temperament. Clerkships often attract the top students from law school; these are the same students who are generally in a position to accept jobs at the top law firms that pay really well. THE organiser of Stroud's alternative and hugely successful Fringe Festival, which takes place this weekend, seems a surprising choice to be handing out sentences for drink-driving, speeding and other misdemeanours. Its little wins like that which make it really rewarding.". I asked him if he wanted to show us something, and he brought forward this piece of paper which showed he had his first negative drug test and he was so proud of it. This interference means the lack of influence of magistrates as a body; the magistracy is being run by the civil service. But Agnes says she and her fellow mags take their responsibility seriously. * For more information and an application form, visit www.dca.gov.uk/magistrates. For ABH 21% of defendants were found guilty but in Essex it was 77%, Case Hardened-May judge defendants on a case before. * Anyone 18 and over can apply. They might beg to differ as to whether the judgments are always fair but my training means that I do always listen to all sides, at least. But as Roger points out, shattering the stereotypes surrounding magistrates is perfectly consistent with judicial principles. We went to see what it was like to be a magistrate, We got the ins and outs of what being a magistrate is all about. Read Next: 1. Magistrates are held to the retirement age of 70 and are required to serve 5 years at least. And I think that value has certainly been eroded. Inconsistent-May forget sentences due to working only 13 days a year. It can be really disheartening, as the chain is just not being broken.. "They're making their own staff richer - it provides a wealth of experience that will help them with their careers," she said. Something went wrong, please try again later. That is pure and simple bureaucracy gone mad., at one time, justice was seen to be done locally. Agnes first moved to Wales in 1986 and describes herself as a "British Malaysian Indian". While concluding, I want to state that being a judge is an excellent career option for law graduates. The independence of thought has been removed; and theyre trying to make the magistrate a clone of the civil service in its terminology, in its techniques and their inability to realise that we are not paid employees We are treated like undervalued paid employees, but not paid. Law graduates are eligible to hold positions in all three branches of government: legislature, executive, and judiciary. Once a magistrate has been appointed, they will undertake training on the necessary skills to sit in court. Magistrates embody one of the most important tenets of the criminal justice system - the principle that defendants are judged by their peers. Employees will receive new development opportunities outside of work, increased awareness of local issues and acquire many transferable skills that are beneficial to the workplace. The numbers have steadily been falling over the last decade, so too have the number of courts. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Application forms can be found on the website www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-magistrate-application-form. You can also change some of your preferences. Positive and Negative Aspects of a Career as a Judge, Executive Magistrate vs Judicial Magistrate, How to Write the Best Answer in Judiciary Mains Exam, How to Study and Prepare for Judiciary Exam, 10 Legal Jobs and Career Options After Law, How to Start Studying Law For New, Existing and Old Students, 11 Tips to Pass AIBE With Bare Acts and MCQ Tests in 2023, Career as a Judge Eligibility, Benefits, Allowances, and More, Best Books for Judiciary Exam Preparation in 2023, How to Write the Best Answer in Judiciary Mains Exam in 2023, How to Cover Local Laws for Judiciary Exams. 2) Magistrates have knowledge of their local area which they work in so can relate to problems! Because I work for the Government I get 19 special leave days, which I use to sit as a magistrate.. In addition, if the magistrates come from different backgrounds and have had different experiences, they should each be able to see the case in different ways and come to a just outcome. You might get to observe other lawyers practicing their oral argument skills, but you will not get to make any oral arguments yourself. A judge must determine the guilt or innocence of criminal defendants in criminal court and impose punishments on those found guilty. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. "Usually it's done as a last resort," he said. 1000 more judges would be required. "You listen to both sides, evaluate it, analyse the facts, plus you have the sentencing guidelines, which you apply to the circumstances.". Editors' Code of Practice. They are appointed by the President on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. Show What attributes does a magistrate need to have? Magistrate Courts hear about 95% of criminal cases along with some civil matters and full training is provided. Another magistrate felt that the connection between the magistracy and the rest of civic society had been severed : They have no idea how to deal with a cohort of volunteers At one time we were part of the civic society of X. Were more and more divorced from that. Others were rewarded by their interaction with defendants and court users I think people who dont know about being a magistrate think you are just sending people down or you are being nasty, but most of the time we are trying to help people. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. They make up 85% of the judiciary, so you can see from this how crucial they are to the legal system. But she admits the time required to commit to the role - and the fact it's unpaid - can be a barrier to those still in full time work. R v Bingham ex parte Jowitt 1974. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. I was motivated to become a magistrate after years of court reporting. On the other hand the disadvantage of magistrates is that there is a . Named one of the fastest growing companies in the United States. In court, a qualified legal advisor is always on hand to provide information about the law. Interviewees were unhappy that they had very little influence over the running of the courts, what cases they sat on and how the rota worked. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Want help proofreading your work? My family were in attendance and smiled proudly as I completed my lines. The amount of time an employee is permitted to take and the circumstances in which this time is taken must be considered by the employer to be reasonable with regard to. Being a great magistrate requires advanced knowledge of state and federal laws, which you can gain through proper education, training and experience. State court judges and justices also hire law clerks. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. A judge may require a law clerk to have passed the bar exam, but generally, a law clerk is not practicing and, thus, does not have to be a licensed attorney. They appreciated learning and developing through sitting: I think it really opens your mind. There is a cap on the first 60 applications received. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please For at least seven years, the person must be an advocate. "It affects me but it doesn't affect my decisions. Kevin said: The hardest aspect of the job for me is seeing people come back into the court, I call it the revolving door effect. IV, 10; N.C.G.S. And once you move justice from the local area I think it loses something, in the eyes of the people in those local areas. The length of the term is generally determined in advance and sometimes there is an opportunity to extend the term for one or more additional years. Health Requirements There are no big health requirements and no medical exam will need to be taken. Above all magistrates felt undervalued. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Carmine Proofreading, 20172022. When we make a decision, it's a structured decision.". As magistrates are volunteers and can be from any background, they may seem more approachable than judges do. It is easier for the magistrates to picture a particular event taking place if they are familiar with the area. Despite being a self-confessed eco-friendly leftie, he is a devotee of Stroud's new Costa Coffee, where we meet at his suggestion. They just give you a slot and stick you in there, it doesnt matter if you do the same court for umpteen weeks, as long as that slot is filled then their duty has been completed. In the Governments view, a properly framed All India Judicial Service will significantly strengthen the overall justice delivery system. 806 8067 22 On being accepted as an intern at Livemint in 2010, he etched PRESS onto his scooter. A study which took place in 2000 found that using lay magistrates cost 53.10 per hour, whereas using a district judge would cost 61.78 an hour. They told of cutbacks in training new recruits did not get the specialist training they needed and Chairs were told to read up on new legislation in their spare time. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. However, it doesnt make it any less hard if they are independent. Thank you for your love and support. This speeds up court proceedings, helping to reduce the time cases spend getting to and being heard in court, relieving some of the pressure on the legal system. What's he waiting for? Subscribe to Transform Justice blog posts below: Transform Justice, 43 Lawford Road, London NW5 2LG. Change). More available than judges as no training is required. What do magistrates say about volunteering while working? "Even if they're repeated offences, you still have to look through each offence, and we have to think 'how can we help them', rather than putting them through some sausage machine. I always wanted to know more about how the Bench arrived at their decisions, what were the processes involved. Advantages: Cost - Magistrates are unpaid, so this reduces cost to both government and the public. The primary difference between a judicial magistrate and an executive magistrate is that a judicial magistrate can handle all the cases and grant punishment for up to 3 years. It was quite a solemn occasion at the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice. All the interviewees were asked about the job satisfaction of being a magistrate. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Show Will my employment affect my eligibility to become a magistrate? If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can During their service and training, magistrates develop transferable skills in many areas essential to both personal and professional development, including but not limited to: Some of the skills you acquire as a magistrate will depend on whether you sit in the criminal, youth or family court, for example you will be trained to communicate with young people if you are a youth magistrate. Last resort, '' he said the law processes involved shattering the stereotypes surrounding magistrates is consistent... Which you can see from this how crucial they are independent continue to promote these adverts as local! That is pure and simple bureaucracy gone mad., at one time, justice was seen to be taken of! The government I get 19 special leave days, which you can gain through proper education, and. 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