Furthermore, if you arent sure exactly what you would like to practice following law school, clerking is also a great way to gain exposure to a wide variety of types of law. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Carmine Proofreading, 20172022. To become a presiding magistrate, or in other words the chairman you have to sit as a magistrate for a minimum of five years. You can serve the nation by becoming a judge. Without magistrates, would need 1000 more judges, saving of 100 million. "It sounds rather clichd to say I wanted to put something back into the community," she says, but that's exactly where she found herself. All of the research and writing involved in a clerkship is for the judges review and/or signature. Eligibility for becoming a Supreme Court judge is: Every High Court consists of one Chief Justice and other judges as may be required from time to time. A person appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court must be a citizen of India and possess a degree of Law from a recognised university. We went to see what it was like to be a magistrate, We got the ins and outs of what being a magistrate is all about. But Agnes argues it benefits everyone. "It can be distressing at times but also extremely rewarding as you get to help. There are lots of letters on the board in X court saying we value your work but it is just words on paper.. There were problems with cases not being ready; today, witnesses and defendants didnt appear (two defendants were not produced from prison); in two cases the CPS did not offer any evidence. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. All three have equal weight in the decision but one will take the role of chair, doing the speaking and keeping proceedings flowing. However, these costs are still much lower than the cost of replacing all the magistrates with judges, so magistrates remain the most cost-effective option. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. In March 2018, I startedWritingLaw.com. In a survey 2000 +2001, people said they would not lessen magistrates role. Having stopped full time work four years ago at the age of 60, she was in a position to take on the unpaid role of a JP - a justice of the peace. They must be able to sit for at least 26 half days a year. * For more information and an application form, visit www.dca.gov.uk/magistrates. Clerkships often attract the top students from law school; these are the same students who are generally in a position to accept jobs at the top law firms that pay really well. For example if you have contact with them through work or if they are a neighbour as that would lead to a conflict of interest. 806 8067 22 Candidates called for interviews are three times the number of vacancies available. These are Good Character, Commitment and Reliability, Social Awareness, Sound Judgement, Understanding and Communication, and Maturity and Sound Temperament. Above all magistrates felt undervalued. He must have worked as an advocate in a High Court or two or more High Courts in a row for at least ten years. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. The goal of this structure is to give the jury system an advantage with regard to its maturity. Spending some time clerking may allow you to really see what the types of law you learned about in law school actually look like in practice. There are many benefits to employers supporting their staff to be magistrates. There are around 30,000 magistrates in England and Wales, dealing with around 97 per cent of all criminal cases. 2023 Magistrates Association. I felt that I had been called upon to truly serve the community. Advantages? You have to put aside any opinions and make a sound judgement based on what information you have in front of you., Kevin added: Everyone has bias, if they say they dont theyre lying and one of the skills of a magistrate is being able to put those bias aside when dealing with a court case.. I hope you have a fruitful time here. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. We are excited to announce that our students had an 88.88% pass rate on the July 2022 bar exam! Click on the different category headings to find out more. But Roger Sanders, who also works as a gardener, has been dispensing down-to-earth justice since he became a magistrate 12 years ago. contact the editor here. The day may come when magistrates courts exist only where there is a Crown Court. Another agreed: for me, its less about remuneration than about the efficiency of the process I feel Id be valued more if there werent days like I had today. A study which took place in 2000 found that using lay magistrates cost 53.10 per hour, whereas using a district judge would cost 61.78 an hour. (LogOut/ A judge must be fair and impartial, doing everything for the sake of justice and nothing for the benefit of friends or family. Let us discuss whether becoming a judge will be a fruitful career for you or not. "Whilst we are there and have to punish, it's also all about rehabilitation as well," she said. Const., Art. The search is now on to find new magistrates to join them as the HM Courts and Tribunal service are looking for 20 new magistrates to sit in Lincoln and Boston courts. State court judges and justices also hire law clerks. They are an integral part of the justice system and as such need to be nurtured and supported. Also, once you are at a firm and are under the pressure of billable hours, you very likely will not have any chance to just sit and court and observe. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. People admire judges. There are three to four papers in this exam, and the candidates selected in this exam shall be called for an interview round. While they are paid expenses and compensated for loss of earnings, magistrates attend court for a minimum of 26 half-day sessions a year. He shall be a respected jurist, according to the Indian president. Being a great magistrate requires advanced knowledge of state and federal laws, which you can gain through proper education, training and experience. There are about 14,000 magistrates in England and Wales who sit . State supreme court justices and appellate court judges often have at least one law clerk. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. "For me it's a way of doing something that actually benefits people, it's a way of giving back to the community. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Have your say in our poll, A horse rider has sparked a debate by asking drivers to be more considerate, He sits on the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee for Lincolnshire, He is also vice chairman for the Deepings raft race, Other charities he helps include the East Anglia Air Ambulance and Deepings Age Concern, He has served as a magistrate for 19 years, Previously he was director of the London Underground, He is currently chair of the board at Leicester prison, He was chief magistrate for South Lincolnshire for three years, Then he was chief magistrate for the whole of Lincolnshire for another three years, He took on a national role and was Midlands regional chairman for five years. More than half were over 60. There are two categories of judicial service exams, and the eligibility criteria for both are different. No formal qualifications are required but magistrates need intelligence, common sense and integrity. The length of the term is generally determined in advance and sometimes there is an opportunity to extend the term for one or more additional years. As stated above, they are all volunteers, so there is no need to pay a judges salary. They had had a personal relationship with their local Justices Clerk and other officials, which was no longer possible, partly due to budget cuts: the biggest problem weve faced in the last twelve months is the cut-back in administration. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. Only 10 of the 51 magistrates from BAME backgrounds are in north Wales. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. On the bench in court there will be three magistrates, with one presiding magistrate who sits in the middle. A few months later I saw him working in Asda. Julie currently still works full time for HMRC while sitting as a magistrate. Local Knowledge-Speeds up court proceedings. IV, 10; N.C.G.S. In conclusion their are many advantages and disadvantages to Magistrates however the advantages tend to out-weigh the disadvantages. Essentially, I am an unpaid volunteer with common sense and personal integrity. The pros and cons of being a judge are listed below that can help you identify whether this career option suits you or not: Indian judiciary follows the three-tier structure, i.e., the union judiciary (Supreme Court), state judiciary (High Courts and courts subordinate to it), and subordinate judiciary (District Courts). Its very much a team effort when youre up there and you have the support of each other., One thing you have got to make sure you do is approach every case with a fresh mind. The independence of thought has been removed; and theyre trying to make the magistrate a clone of the civil service in its terminology, in its techniques and their inability to realise that we are not paid employees We are treated like undervalued paid employees, but not paid. I was surrounded by approximately 50 other newly-appointed magistrates who each took the oath in turn. They are not all scroungers and with things like non-payment of TV licences and council tax it's about being human and listening to peoples' problems.". Now you are just a number. I started sitting in Wigan in 1996. What's he waiting for? And once you move justice from the local area I think it loses something, in the eyes of the people in those local areas. But Agnes says she and her fellow mags take their responsibility seriously. Many supportive employers allow magistrates leave for their public duties in addition to their normal holiday entitlement. We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. We find this increasingly difficult to accept. R v Birmingham Magistrates ex parte Ahmed. It is often highly regarded. You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. An institution that is worth defending; it gives such an insight into how this city works To me, every day I go in, its just a joy. 806 8067 22, Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, Advantages and Disadvantages of Magistrates, Lay magistrates advantages and disadvantages, Advantages and Disadvantages of Lay people, Advantages & Disadvantages of Magistrates, Advantages and Disadvantages of Trial in the Crown Court, See all The Criminal courts and lay people resources , AQA Law Unit 1 Predictions (17th May PM) , Unofficial mark scheme for aqa as law unit 1 , AQA Law Unit 1 (FRI 23/05/14) - Exam Revision , AQA Law - Friday 23rd June 2014 Unit 1 Exam , Cost-Magistrates are unpaid, but judges earn 90,000. And I think the taking away of the local element, the local knowledge the number of times you sit in court, you can make an assessment of a situation if you know the area, eg the street if its a motoring offence. When you look at a defendant regardless of the circumstances you look at them as human beings.. Judges ensure a fair trial and pronounce the verdict after the case. Judges often hire law clerks one to two years in advance of the date on which the clerk will actually start working for the judge. Others were rewarded by their interaction with defendants and court users I think people who dont know about being a magistrate think you are just sending people down or you are being nasty, but most of the time we are trying to help people. Because I work for the Government I get 19 special leave days, which I use to sit as a magistrate.. Most of us will hope never to set foot in one, but thousands end up appearing in court each year. By using this site, you allow the use of cookies, and you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. "Trying to put something through an algorithm won't work," she said. 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