More people are being urged to consider becoming magistrates, with applications open now in the North East, as part of a national drive to increase the number and diversity of volunteers.
The Judiciary of England and the Ministry of Justice campaign has been backed by North East magistrates, where improvements have already been made in terms of diversity, as the number of volunteers who are women, as well as people under 50 have both increased.
The goal is for people in the North East to be part of a new wave of volunteers who better reflect the diversity of British society, as well as giving them the opportunity to give back to their community.
No legal experience or qualifications are required for potential volunteers, but new recruits will work with their fellow magistrates and a legal advisor to get them up to speed. The role allows people to build relationships with new people and learn new skills.
Anyone who is aged between 18 and 70 and can commit at least 13 days a year for at least five years is eligible for the position, with the goal being to recruit 4,000 new magistrates across England and Wales in the next few years.
As part of the campaign, existing magistrates are stepping forward to talk about the benefits of the role for them personally, whether that be the learning of a new skill or the rewarding feeling that you get from giving back to the community.
One of these is Anita Atkinson, from Weardale, County Durham, who has been a magistrate for 31 years. She is now retired, but is a former school governor and has volunteered ever since she saw an advert in her local newspaper encouraging people to join.
Anita comes from a working class background, and she has worked to break the upper class stereotype that surrounds magistrates through all of the work that she does.
She said: “Working as a magistrate is never boring, and has given me transferrable skills in my personal and professional life. Being a magistrate is also about understanding your own community and dispensing rulings according to the laws of the land and public expectation.
"If you have sound judgement and an objective mind, I would urge anyone to apply."
If you would like to apply to volunteer as a magistrate visit the link here
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