back to How to Become a Magistrate Index back to How to Become a Magistrate IndexThe Lord Chancellor requires that each bench should broadly reflect the community it serves in terms of gender, ethnic origin, geographical spread, occupation and political affiliation. Achieving a balance is, however, a secondary consideration to the essential and pre-eminent requirement that a candidate must be personally suitable for appointment, possessing the qualities required in a magistrate.
The retirement age for magistrates is 70 (JP Act 1997, s.7(2)"). Anyone 18 and over can apply to become a magistrate though in reality, due to the training during the first two years, it is unlikely that anyone over 65 would be appointed.
Each bench should have a roughly equal number of men and women. There should be sufficient magistrates of each sex who are eligible to sit in the family proceedings and youth courts, which must be made up of three magistrates and include a man and a woman, unless this is impractical.
Advisory committees are making strenuous efforts to recruit suitable candidates from the ethnic minorities. Advisory committees should be aware of the ethnic composition of the area for which they are responsible and seek to recruit sufficient numbers from the ethnic minorities to reflect that composition.
Advisory committees should aim to recommend candidates proportionally from the areas for which they are responsible but ensure that there are not too many magistrates on any one bench from the same village, neighbourhood or street.
Advisory committees should seek to recommend for appointment, candidates from a broad spectrum of occupations. No more than 15% of the magistrates on a bench should be from the same occupational group.
It is important that there are not too many magistrates on the bench from the same clubs or organisations. Candidates for the magistracy are specifically asked on the new application form if they are freemasons. If a candidate has completed the old form, they should be asked at interview if they are freemasons. Those recommended for appointment will be required to inform the chairman of the bench or the clerk to the justices if they subsequently become a freemason.
