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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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An East Asian woman, a Black man and a white man sitting on a magistrates' bench in court

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

A young person

Living with drug dependency

Choose Life, a charity based in the northwest of England, uses the lived experience of recovered drug users to educate young people and professionals on the dangers of Class A drugs. Project manager, Steve Duffy MBE and project volunteers will give magistrates insights into the day-to-day world of someone addicted to drugs and some of the experiences they may have had before you see them in court.

Royal Garden Party Reception – 7 May

Join us at our offices in St George's Wharf, for the Royal Garden Party reception on 7 May 2025. This event is exclusively for members who have Royal Garden Party tickets. Please do not book on to this event unless you have a ticket.
A group of magistrates

The Local Justice Areas consultation

We will be hosting a webinar for members on the LJA consultation, to discuss the key questions in the consultation. Mark, Chair of the association and Tom, Chief Executive, along with other committee representatives will be leading the webinar. These will be used to gather members thoughts and opinions before we form a response to the consultation.

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

Text reads: guest blog, Cat Linton. It is accompanied by Cat's photo.
  • Modern slavery and exploitation

The Modern Slavery Act a Decade On: Survivors Still Criminalised, Not Protected

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  • Family court matters
  • Modern slavery and exploitation
  • Youth court matters

Latest updates for magistrates: April 2025

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  • Wider justice system

MA contributes to landmark Times crime and justice commission report

MA trustees

Could you be one of MA’s new trustees?