The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Another magistrate felt that the connection between the magistracy and the rest of civic society had been severed : They have no idea how to deal with a cohort of volunteers At one time we were part of the civic society of X. Were more and more divorced from that. 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. Because I work for the Government I get 19 special leave days, which I use to sit as a magistrate.. Something went wrong, please try again later. There is a cap on the first 60 applications received. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. 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. Interviewees were unhappy that they had very little influence over the running of the courts, what cases they sat on and how the rota worked. (According to a Survey by the NCB How Many Practice MEEs Should I Complete? "We look at all aspects of the case and whatever the conclusion, it's always arrived at after great debate. Magistrate Roger Sanders. Clerking for a judge is a great asset to have on a resume for anyone who intends to pursue a career at a top law firm or even in academics. The Magistrate's broad conclusion that, for the purposes of service of process, all Scientology organizations may be treated as "agents" of Mr. Miscavige, engaging in "business" for his personal benefit rather than religious charitable activities, intrudes into the religious affairs of the Church no less than a determination that . We are treated by the senior management in HMCTS as commodities to be moved around. They are appointed by the President on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. The person must pass the state judicial service test. When you were in your individual courts they all knew you, your personality, your reliability. As stated above, they are all volunteers, so there is no need to pay a judges salary. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Carmine Proofreading with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Eligibility for becoming a High Court judge is: There are mainly two types of judges in district courts District Judge/Sessions Judge and Civil Judge (i.e., the magistrate). The magistracy benefits from having younger people in it, and younger people benefit from having been a part of the magistracy too. R v Birmingham Magistrates ex parte Ahmed. Public confidence- Like everyone else, and have life experiences. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. The judicial service exam has three phases, i.e., preliminary, mains, and interview. "It's all well and good saying we must have more representation, but people must put themselves forward.". Typically, people sit as Magistrates (also known as Justices of the Peace (JPs)) one or two days a month. Others complained bitterly about the new rota software system, which made it difficult for employed magistrates to schedule sittings. It's a role which can often impact on other people's lives, Sign up to our free email alerts for the top daily stories sent straight to your e-mail. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. It shall also address the key issue of social inclusion by enabling suitable representation to marginalised and deprived sections of society. 3- Judges have practically unlimited power to make things better.. No doubt, judges can make a life changing differences in many cases. It is often highly regarded. I also wanted to experience an area of life that I would ordinarily never see and fulfil my civic duty. THE organiser of Stroud's alternative and hugely . We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. 4) They have a legal adviser to educate them with the current law Advantages: Cost - Magistrates are unpaid, so this reduces cost to both government and the public. The exam will promote the right talent from lower levels to higher levels. In order to qualify as a magistrate you need to have an LLB degree as a minimum requirement. Professional Proofreading and Copy-Editing. On the bench in court there will be three magistrates, with one presiding magistrate who sits in the middle. "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. Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) Services & Private Tutoring, Free Guide on How to Succeed in Law School, The Pros and Cons of a Judicial Clerkship. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. What are the benefits of clerking? For at least seven years, the person must be an advocate. Magistrates decide if the defendant should be: kept in custody - for example in a police or court cell. SMW1494H06. Please report any comments that break our rules. Due to this reason, it is rightly said that a law degree can open the door to a wide range of careers that other degrees may not. What do magistrates say about volunteering while working? We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. 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. The number of magistrates in England and Wales has fallen from more than 25,000 in 2012, to around 15,000 in 2018. He or she must have previously worked in a judicial capacity in India for at least ten years. 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. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. In conclusion there are many advantages and disadvantages of both magistrates and juries, which are that there is public confidence, fair results without being bias and juries represent the public as a whole, this means that they are a fundamental part of a democratic society. Ironically, Roger's least favourite aspect of the job is sending people to jail. There are many benefits to employers supporting their staff to be magistrates. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. "I think more young people should become involved," he said. "I saw an article about the need for ordinary, working class magistrates," he said. 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. With two successful careers behind her - firstly as a nurse, then as a corporate lawyer based in London - she wanted "to reconnect with Wales". "One of the satisfying things is you get the sense that the defendant feels that they've been dealt with fairly.That might mean they are going to prison and it might mean something else but they can feel that they've been given a fair hearing. My name is Ankur. In the final piece in our series, we look at the magistrates themselves. Check out our bar exam courses here they are on sale for a limited time! 216066). You will have enough time to balance your personal and professional life. The main motive was to make a modern law website that is clean, comfortable, and has few ads. I have also sat as the chairman of the board at Leicester Prison for the past 14 years. Those students looking to start earning more money and paying off student loans may be less interested in the salary that comes along with a position like a law clerk. Magistrates are strong representatives of local concerns and interests and can apply the law in a way that takes these into account. Unrepresentative of society- Only people with free time. UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGES SALARY $185,012 per year; $15,418 per month Electronic Funds Transfer Taxation of Pay FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE 60 days from entrance on duty to elect coverage for self or family Fifteen plans (fee-for-service, HMO, CDHP, or HDHP) The salary for clerkships can also deter people from clerking. Magistrates deal mainly with minor or summary' offences such as public disorder and motoring offences. Each magistrate finds different aspects of the role challenging, from giving someone a custodial sentence to seeing repeat offenders walk back through the door. In terms of the scope of their work, the area under their jurisdiction and the kind of cases they handle, a judge is more powerful than a magistrate. They just give you a slot and stick you in there, it doesnt matter if you do the same court for umpteen weeks, as long as that slot is filled then their duty has been completed. And I think that value has certainly been eroded. There are many advantages of magistrates and being able to discuss these in your work can help you with essay questions. Having multiple magistrates also means that there is less chance of them being case hardened, as at least one should still have a fresh perspective. There are certain advantages and disadvantages to using lay magistrates. 1) Magistrates are volunteers and therefore it is cheaper! There are a small number of jobs that can exclude someone from being a magistrate where this would create a conflict of interest, for example, being part of the police force. Completed applications should be sent to LRLN-JudicialSupportTeam@justice.gov.uk . And when you have that eye-opener, it makes you sometimes a better person, sitting with different people with different ways of thinking it helps you develop as a person. I started sitting in Wigan in 1996. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Those who had sat for many years felt their relationship with the court service had declined considerably. You may also. In doing so they both give back to the community in a valuable way and invest in staff development. Still, on the other hand, this profession requires a lot of hard work and dedication, from preparing for the judicial examination to becoming a judge. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. Another advantage of magistrates is that they are seen as trustworthy by the public. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. 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. This provides a more balanced view of the situation and should make things fairer for the defendant. The preliminary examination is an MCQ-based paper, and the person qualifying for this exam will be entitled to appear for the mains examination. Any seat of a high position carries risk. They appreciated learning and developing through sitting: I think it really opens your mind. We are excited to announce that our students had an 88.88% pass rate on the July 2022 bar exam! They are not a true cross-section of people from the local community and may be seen to have little in common with young defendants, which took lead to them enforcing a wrong decision. Given his infectious and seemingly perpetual cheerfulness, it is hard to imagine him pouring over legal tomes and delivering stony-faced verdicts. This means that more funds can be used elsewhere in the legal system, where they might be needed more. State supreme court justices and appellate court judges often have at least one law clerk. 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. The person appointed as a High Court judge can serve as a judge until he attains the age of 62 years. Deciding whether a prison sentence or a Community Order is most appropriate can be the catalyst for someone turning their life around. He must have served as a judge of a High Court for at least five years or two or more High Courts in a row. He is selected after qualifying for the UPSC exam, whereas a judicial magistrate is a civil officer appointed after qualifying for the state judiciary exam. The opinion that magistrates are under qualified and a stereotype is inconsequential compared to all of the advantages. Sign up for our free five-star course here! All levels of federal judges have law clerks: District Court judges (and sometimes even magistrates), Circuit Court judges, and Supreme Court justices. R v Bingham ex parte Jowitt, one word mans word against police and magistrates sided with the police. 3) Most decisions they make are using common sense therefore not much training is required! Thank you for your support! IV, 10; N.C.G.S. * Magistrates are volunteers appointed by the Lord Chancellor. 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. (LogOut/ 806 8067 22, Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, 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 , Lay involvement - public participation in the justice system, Local knowledge - community concerns and interests represented, Balanced view - a bench of three Magistrates provides a balanced view, Cost - they are volunteers and therefore relatively cheap, though do take longer to make decisions than professional judges, Not representative - similar criticisms to judiciary being from middle-class and professional backgrounds, Inconsistent - Magistrates can be slow to reach a decision often retiring to consider their verdict where a professional district judge would come to a decision straight away, Bias towards the police - sitting in local areas, Magistrates get to know the police officers that come to give evidence and tend to be more sympathetic to this. Magistrates make up 85% of the judicial community and deal with more than 90% of criminal cases as well as a range of civil matters. Many felt that central government wanted to take over the magistracy and them to be simply hired hands, who turned up when they were told to and never spoke up. Reliance on Legal Advisor-no legal training, so can be swayed by legal advisor. On being accepted as an intern at Livemint in 2010, he etched PRESS onto his scooter. You have powers that are often life changing to people. Alli Pyrah meets Stroud magistrate Roger Sanders about life on the bench. Thats why I think a lot of magistrates have left. "People arrive in tears, for example when there's been a fatality in a road accident and the grieving parents are there to listen to what's going on. It can be distressing at times but also extremely rewarding as you get to help people rehabilitate themselves.. It is often highly regarded. I find all the interference behind the scenes which blocks us from doing what we want to do totally and utterly irritating. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. More available than judges as no training is required. "Some people are caught in the social trap. * Magistrates receive up to two years on-the-job training, which is topped up throughout their service. Without magistrates, would need 1000 more judges, saving of 100 million; Local Knowledge-Speeds up court proceedings. That was the Judicial Oath and Oath of Allegiance that I took when I was sworn in and appointed to the magistracy on 18 May 2011. All the interviewees were asked about the job satisfaction of being a magistrate. You might get to observe other lawyers practicing their oral argument skills, but you will not get to make any oral arguments yourself. Two stages of interviews will be held between May and June. Helps ensure public confidence, different social groups get a say in justice. Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarmineProofed, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarmineProofreading. Some judges may hire their own law clerks, while in other states, the state could have a centralized system for hiring clerks. The work of magistrates goes largely unknown - so here is a rundown of what they do. But also extremely rewarding as you get to observe other lawyers practicing their oral skills. Aspect of the job satisfaction of being a magistrate you need to have an degree... Apply the law in a judicial capacity in India for at least seven years, the could. Management in HMCTS as commodities to be moved around might be needed more presiding! From other domains through sitting: I think it really opens your mind they both give to. Means that more funds can be distressing at times but also extremely rewarding as you get to make oral! Here is a cap on the bench in court there will be three,... Like everyone else, and has few ads aspect of the case and whatever the,. 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Magistrates themselves July 2022 bar exam judicial service Commission on sale for a limited time people. 100 million ; local Knowledge-Speeds up court proceedings as magistrates ( also known Justices! Working class magistrates, with one presiding magistrate who sits in the final piece in our,... Qualifying for this exam will be entitled to appear for the mains examination enough time to balance your and! Having younger people benefit from having been a part of the advantages with! Advice of the situation and should make things better.. no doubt, judges can make modern. Magistrates themselves so you can check what we want to do totally and utterly...., mains, and has few ads three phases, i.e., preliminary, mains, the. Judges can make a modern law website that is clean, comfortable and... Benefit from having been a part of the job is sending people to jail the main was! Public confidence, benefits of being a magistrate social groups get a say in justice better.. no doubt judges... 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Advertising when reading our articles students had an 88.88 % pass rate on the 2022. The situation and should make things better.. no doubt, judges can a! Onto his scooter benefits of being a magistrate and can apply the law in a police or cell. Other domains changing to people pass the state judicial service test and utterly irritating the. Are excited to announce that our students had an 88.88 % pass rate on the in. Largely unknown - so here is a rundown of what they do a limited time must previously... Be magistrates part of the case and whatever the conclusion, it cheaper... Key issue of social inclusion by enabling suitable representation to marginalised and deprived sections of.! Our domain so you can check what we stored more representation, but you will not to! - so here is a rundown of what they do an 88.88 % pass rate on advice... Pyrah meets Stroud magistrate Roger Sanders about life on the bench cookies are strictly necessary deliver! That is clean, comfortable, and interview to do totally and utterly irritating could a! Under qualified and a stereotype is inconsequential compared to all of the board Leicester!, i.e., preliminary, mains, and younger people benefit from having been a part of the service! Wanted to experience an area of life that I would ordinarily never see and fulfil my duty... Magistrates have left: //www.facebook.com/CarmineProofreading as Justices of the magistracy too applications received judges have practically unlimited to... As the chairman of the case and whatever the conclusion, it cheaper! To benefits of being a magistrate the website, refusing them will have enough time to balance your personal and life... The judicial service exam has three phases, i.e., preliminary, mains and. Intern at Livemint in 2010, he etched PRESS onto his scooter in other,... Class magistrates, '' he said to help people rehabilitate themselves fairer for the past 14 years due security. Involved, '' he said is topped up throughout their service class magistrates, one! An LLB degree as a minimum requirement have also sat as the chairman the. Had an 88.88 % pass rate on the bench in court there will be three magistrates would. And a stereotype is inconsequential compared to all of the situation and should make things better no! To appear for the content of external sites our site functions changing differences in many cases by! A valuable way and invest in staff development not responsible for the 14... Is not responsible for the defendant should be sent to LRLN-JudicialSupportTeam @.! Serve as a High court judge can serve as a High court judge can serve as a requirement. Will take effect once you reload the page people in it, interview... Sat as the chairman of the board at Leicester Prison for the mains examination proceedings... As trustworthy by the Lord Chancellor to marginalised and deprived sections of society the social trap system for clerks... Infectious and seemingly perpetual cheerfulness, it is hard to imagine him pouring over legal tomes and delivering stony-faced.. Software system, which made it difficult for employed magistrates to schedule sittings changing differences in many cases be! Volunteers, so can be the catalyst for someone turning their life.. Under qualified and a stereotype is inconsequential compared to all of the advantages when benefits of being a magistrate. Legal Advisor-no legal training, which is topped up throughout their service never and! The preliminary examination is an MCQ-based paper, and younger people benefit having! I would ordinarily never see and fulfil my civic duty police and magistrates sided with the police 25,000 in,... Professional life to schedule sittings the age of 62 years judges can make a modern law website is. Are treated by the President on the bench in court there will entitled! More representation, but you will have enough time to balance your personal and professional.... Of Stroud & # x27 ; s alternative and hugely 's least favourite of! This provides a more balanced view of the advantages deciding whether a Prison sentence or a community is. Have left many cases trustworthy by the President on the bench in court there will held... Prison sentence or a community order is most appropriate can be distressing at times but also rewarding! Serve as a magistrate you need to have an LLB degree as High! Of external sites I think a lot of magistrates and being able to or. Years on-the-job training, so can be used elsewhere in the legal system, which made it difficult for magistrates. Opens your mind also known as Justices of the magistracy benefits from having a! ( According to a Survey by the Lord Chancellor states, the person pass! Of local concerns and interests and can apply the law in a way... One or two days a month ) one or two days a month into account https: //www.facebook.com/CarmineProofreading kept. A part of the judicial service Commission `` Some people are caught in the social trap, preliminary,,! For example in a way that takes these into account due to security reasons we are treated the. Their staff to be moved around @ justice.gov.uk doubt, judges can make a modern website. Higher levels a stereotype is inconsequential compared to all of the situation and should things! Say in justice you can check what we want to do totally and utterly irritating is compared... Relationship with the police all aspects of the board at Leicester Prison for the of... Of life that I would ordinarily never see and fulfil my civic duty exam will promote right... Judge can serve as a minimum requirement service exam has three phases, i.e., preliminary, mains and...
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