Network aims
The MA’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic network has three main aims:
- Provide opportunities for Black, Asian and minority ethnic magistrates to network with their peers across England and Wales.
- Generate discourse around the issues affecting Black, Asian and minority ethnic magistrates (who are members of the MA) and advise, inform, and work with the MA to address these issues.
- Advise, inform, and work with the MA on the creation of routes to the recruitment of Black, Asian and minority ethnic magistrates.
Join the network
To find out more or to join the MA’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic network, please email BAME@magistrates-association.org.uk.
Our achievements
Since its launch in November 2020, the Black, Asian and minority ethnic network has:
- Shared their experiences of volunteering as magistrates in a blog for Volunteers’ Week 2021.
- Held an inaugural conference in June 2021, which was attended by around 50 members and saw Sandra Kerr CBE, Race Director at Business in the Community, give a speech on leading from the front.
- Conducted a survey of members’ experiences of and challenges faced while sitting on the bench and used the findings to inform future workplan.
- Facilitated a Q&A with the Rt Hon David Lammy MP at the MA’s conference in 2021, covering topics including disproportionality in the criminal justice system and how the magistracy could be strengthened and better resourced.
- Represented the MA in the media to encourage others to apply to be and/or to support their employees to serve as magistrates and to emphasise the importance of benches reflecting the communities they serve.
- Hosted a seminar in December 2021, featuring Professor Julian Roberts, Executive Director of the Sentencing Academy.
- Produced a presentation on knife crime in March 2022 to support the MA’s Magistrates in the Community
- Ran a workshop at Cultivating Black Women for Social Change in March 2022, encouraging aspiring Black social changemakers to join the magistracy.
- Developed several digital resources and coordinated the development of a virtual photo gallery to reflect and celebrate the diversity of the magistracy.
- Supported the Ministry of Justice’s national recruitment campaign by inputting to the London Recruitment Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace’s efforts to strengthen the inclusivity of its activities.