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We exist to help the magistracy be its best for all of society

We're the only membership body and independent voice for magistrates. We promote the sound administration of the law, campaign on policy and practice relating to the magistracy, provide support and development guidance to magistrates, and inform the public about the magistracy and the justice system

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Learn about magistrates

Magistrates make many of the legal decisions in England and Wales.

Visit MA learn

We provide tools to develop magistrates’ knowledge and skills. Our member-only learning hub, MA learn, contains more than 200 high-quality resources.

Search our publications library

Browse our advocacy reports, briefing notes, consultation responses and position statements published to support our policy work.
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Get updates on news and influencing

We advocate on behalf of our members and inform others about the vital role of the magistracy.

Get involved

Attend an event, join a diversity and inclusion network, participate in our community outreach initiative, volunteer for us, recruit a new member or leave us a gift.
Branch members

Get support

We provide peer support when being a magistrate feels tough.

Upcoming events

3D printed weapons webinar

Stephanie Bevan, G4 Senior Officer at the National Crime Agency (NCA), will discuss the dangers of 3D printed firearms and ammunition, following the NCA's recent Amber Alert. Discover how these weapons are impacting the criminal justice system, what to look for in court, and the current limitations of legal frameworks.

Child exploitation with The Children’s Society

In our second webinar focused on the topic of child exploitation, Rosie Plummer from The Children’s Society’s Prevention Programme will provide a brief recap of what child exploitation is, then delve into some interactive case studies. These true-to-life scenarios will examine what exploitation may look like for children of different ages, genders and backgrounds. Rosie will be joined by Christopher Goard JP. Christopher has been a magistrate for 17 years and has completed a doctorate about how to identify child and adult victims of all forms of modern slavery. Christopher will use his research and experiences as a magistrate to outline the factors that influence modern slavery and share some common defendant characteristics to help magistrates identify victims in the courtroom. This partnership will give magistrates an insight into the experiences of both child and adult victims of exploitation.

Pregnancy in prison

Janey and Sam from Level Up will join us to talk about their campaigning work with pregnant women and mothers with infants in prison. After the deaths of two babies inside women’s prisons in recent years, the NHS and prison ombudsman have ruled all pregnancies in prison as “high-risk” and the Royal College of Midwives have said prison is no place for a pregnant woman. This webinar will cover the first-hand experience of a woman who was in custody during her pregnancy and early part of her child’s life and offer guidance to magistrates about how to approach sentencing pregnant women.

Our year in numbers

Between July 2022 and June 2023, we've been busy influencing on behalf of and building opportunities for our members to learn, develop and connect.

1

new learning hub with 200 top-notch resources launched

10

webinars on topics from domestic abuse to community sentencing held

11

consultation responses and two advocacy reports published

3

parliamentary committee appearances completed

5

meetings with ministers held to influence on behalf of our members

6

issues of Magistrate magazine published

316

pieces of digital, print and broadcast media coverage landed

178228

website visitors secured

95823

people reached on LinkedIn

421200

people reached on X (formerly Twitter)

1

new support line manned by experienced magistrates launched

3

workshops for new magistrates held

200

members welcomed at our annual conference and awards ceremony

87%

of our members said they would recommend MA membership to others

87%

of our members said they think MA membership is good value for money

Become a member

As a member, you’ll get access to a wealth of benefits to assist you to be the best magistrate you can be, including:
  • A learning hub with 120 resources
  • Monthly webinars on topical issues
  • A support line run by versed magistrates
  • Engaging newsletters and magazines
  • Events where you can meet colleagues

Latest blogs and news

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  • Family court matters

My first-hand experience of Pathfinder in Wales

The text reads: press release
  • Adult court matters
  • Wider justice system
  • Youth court matters

Structural reforms needed to ensure timely justice, say magistrates

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Are you and your members getting all our emails?

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  • Family court matters
  • Wider justice system

Latest updates for magistrates: January 2025