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Barristers and judges > Magistrate
Law and legal
Magistrates are volunteers who hear cases in court. They pass judgements and hand down short sentences, fines and other penalties.
You can get into this role through:
Volunteering
You can get a valuable insight into the work of a magistrate’s court by arranging to visit one in your local area. This may help if you later apply for selection to be a magistrate. You should contact the court before you go, so that staff can direct you to the most appropriate court open to the public.
As a volunteer magistrate, you'll be expected to work at least 13 full days in a year, or 26 half days. You will not be paid as a magistrate but you can claim an allowance for expenses.
You'll need:
Your current job or business interests may lead to a conflict of interest and bar you from becoming a magistrate. For example if you’re a police officer or prison officer you cannot become a magistrate in the criminal court. Your local advisory committee can tell you more about these restrictions.
Your day-to-day duties may include:
With experience, you could act as the chairperson or presiding magistrate on a panel of 3 magistrates in court. You could also specialise in particular courts like the family court, or the youth court, dealing with young people aged between 10 and 17. You could volunteer to mentor new magistrates or apply to sit with judges on panels hearing appeals. You could also use your experience to join committees advising policy makers on judicial issues, for example prison standards or sentencing guidelines.
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