Five useful resources for magistrates

Some handy guides, tools and videos to check out this Volunteers' Week

Taking place from 1 to 7 June every year, Volunteer’s Week is chance to celebrate the immense contributions that volunteers – and our members especially – make to their communities every day, and to say thank you.

As individuals who perform one of the most significant and rewarding voluntary roles in England and Wales, we know that you often juggle volunteering with work, caring responsibilities and other activities. To support you in your role, we’ve brought together in one place five helpful resources from across our website that you may have missed the first time around:

1. A Q&A on balancing volunteering with employment – this addresses some of the key questions that employed magistrates often ask us, including what the law says about having time off to perform their duties and how to claim expenses.  
2. Winger workbooks – these e-learning modules/videos are a great way to refresh your court practice in just a few minutes. We’d particularly recommend looking at: active listening, assertiveness , communication skills, and making structured decisions.
3. Abbreviations list  – this hand reference document sheds light on the acronyms and abbreviations you’re most likely to encounter as a magistrate.
4. Latin terms guide  – this contains some common terms that you may come across in the course of your volunteering.  
5. Pronouncement card builder – this Sentencing Council and Judicial College online resource is designed to help magistrates provide full and clear explanations about court decisions.