The Magistrates’ Association presented its 2018 award for Employer of the Year to the Lloyds Banking Group at an event at the Old Bailey this evening. This major national award recognises the Lloyds Banking Group’s significant contribution to supporting the magistracy.
Magistrates perform an invaluable public service by hearing cases in their local courts. However, many rely on the support of their employer to enable them to attend court during working hours. The Magistrates’ Association, the independent membership body for magistrates, has created an Employer of the Year award to recognise those organisations that are leading the way in supporting their employees to sit as magistrates.
The 2018 winner, the Lloyds Banking Group, was nominated for this award by Christine Wong, a project manager at the organisation and a magistrate in east London. She highlighted its provision of paid leave for public duties, adoption of flexible ways of working, and creation of a culture that encourages and values volunteering. This enables Christine and more than 30 of her colleagues to sit as magistrates, making an important contribution to the justice system.
The reception was held in the Judges’ Dining Room at the Old Bailey and attended by Chief Magistrate, Emma Arbuthnot, Deputy Chief Executive of HM Courts and Tribunals Service, Kevin Sadler, and National Leadership Magistrate, Duncan Webster. The Lloyds Banking Group was presented with this award by Jon Collins, Chief Executive of the Magistrates’ Association. Commenting on the award, he said:
“We are delighted to be giving this award to the Lloyds Banking Group, recognising its support for staff who sit as magistrates. We need to see more employers enabling their staff to be magistrates and the Lloyds Banking Group is a great example of an organisation that sees the value of its employees contributing to the community and actively supports them in doing so.”
Christine Wong, a magistrate in east London and an employee of the Lloyds Banking Group who nominated it for the award, said:
“Juggling full-time employment and my commitments as a magistrate can be challenging, but I have been able to do this successfully thanks to the support and flexibility of my employer. I am immensely grateful to the Lloyds Banking Group for supporting me and my magistrate colleagues and am delighted that it is being publicly acknowledged for its vital contribution to the magistracy.”
Lucy Frazer QC MP, the minister responsible for the courts, said:
“The magistracy plays a vital role in our criminal justice system thanks to the volunteers who generously devote their time, and the employers who encourage their staff by providing the flexibility they need to perform this crucial public service. I congratulate the Lloyds Banking Group on being named Employer of the Year and would like to personally thank it for the invaluable support it gives to all its magistrates.”
