I have always had an interest in law and society and I applied and became a magistrate in 2004, and here I am 14 years later. Local Knowledge-Speeds up court proceedings. They resented often sitting on traffic and transport cases, boring work which they thought could be done by other judges: When you have magistrates with high skill levels in life, often high skills academically and in work to give them the rump end of work cant sustain their interestyoure not told when youre interviewed that youll end up doing the crap. Clerking provides a great opportunity to observe other lawyers in the courtroom setting and gain a lot of exposure to what does (and does not) work well from the perspective of the judge. The manager threatened the magistrate with a disciplinary process. This provides a more balanced view of the situation and should make things fairer for the defendant. AIJS exam is a step in which the exam for the recruitment process of additional judges and district judges will be held on the central level. I am given 18 days a year sitting in court and my employers are really good with giving me the relevant time off. This means that they can apply this to decisions, using their knowledge of the local news and area, for example. You may also. 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. 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 . 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. (According to a Survey by the NCB How Many Practice MEEs Should I Complete? There can be threats if the decision by a judge is not favourable for a party or section of people. In addition, magistrates are a relatively cheap option for the legal system compared to judges. As mentioned above, magistrates do not need to already have legal knowledge or training. All the interviewees were asked about the job satisfaction of being a magistrate. 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. Those who had sat for many years felt their relationship with the court service had declined considerably. A number of magistrates complained that the pace of change was swift and that the training was inadequate. 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. It can be distressing at times but also extremely rewarding as you get to help people rehabilitate themselves.. They are an integral part of the justice system and as such need to be nurtured and supported. "Even if they're repeated offences, you still have to look through each offence, and we have to think 'how can we help them', rather than putting them through some sausage machine. This involves setting the timetable, deciding bail, hearing the evidence and deciding on a verdict. Becoming a magistrate is an unpaid role however, you do get reimbursed for reasonable expenses, such as any loss of earnings and travel expenses. This was particularly heartfelt in the Welsh focus group, what you have is a civil service approach, imposed from Englandin an office in London looking at a map saying why on Earth are there loads of courts next to each other? No understanding whatsoever of the topographic, the tribal differences between those valleys and communities or the difficulty in getting from one of those areas to the next because they are valleys areas. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. 49%are women. What is it like in Wales' 14 magistrates courts - and how are they working? Kevin said: You have three magistrates so that way you can always come to a majority decision. Above all magistrates felt undervalued. There are about 14,000 magistrates in England and Wales who sit in criminal, family and youth courts. But as Roger points out, shattering the stereotypes surrounding magistrates is perfectly consistent with judicial principles. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Let us discuss whether becoming a judge will be a fruitful career for you or not. ", 'Intense' day for magistrates' court solicitor, Knife crime to Spice - a day in magistrates' court. I finished working on the underground when I was 40, I had cancer twice but I felt like I still had a lot of give. Will I get compensated for time off work to sit as a magistrate? Being a magistrate offers employees new learning opportunities and a focus beyond work as well as an increased understanding of local issues. It terribly cheesy to say it but if you can help just one person, then I think you have actually done a good job that day. Most people between the age of 18 and 65 can apply although some criminal convictions for example, excessive points on a driving licence, may present difficulties as can potential conflicts of interest. Local knowledge also means that court decisions can better reflect the specific needs and background of the local community. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. As being said that they handle very limited types of cases, these types include (but can vary from state to state): Child Support, Alimony, custody issues, family issues, family property use. For me its a way of doing something that actually benefits people, its a way of giving back to the community. 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Career clerks often continue working for the judge for an undisclosed period of time. Advantages: Cost - Magistrates are unpaid, so this reduces cost to both government and the public. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. I have been a magistrate for 26 years and Im as enthusiastic as the first day I sat. You will have enough time to balance your personal and professional life. You can also change some of your preferences. My name is Ankur. There are many advantages of magistrates and being able to discuss these in your work can help you with essay questions. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. 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. At 11 o-clock I was shopping because we were sent home. 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. Two stages of interviews will be held between May and June. What do magistrates say about volunteering while working? Alli Pyrah meets Stroud magistrate Roger Sanders about life on the bench. But Agnes argues it benefits everyone.. There are many benefits to employers supporting their staff to be magistrates. Some offences, like theft and fraud, are considered either/or' offences and can be dealt with by magistrates or a judge, depending on their seriousness. 806 8067 22 In order to qualify as a magistrate you need to have an LLB degree as a minimum requirement. Magistrates resented wasting their precious time in the retiring room, while trials collapsed and they waited for CPS or defence practitioners to be ready. The family court is a real eye-opener. Const., Art. Without magistrates, would need 1000 more judges, saving of 100 million. A woman described a day in court, which she had taken off work : today I sat at X and spent most of the time doing nothing, because of the administration of the courts. it is no longer local justice, its something rather more brutal than that. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. By continuing to use this site you are giving consent to cookies being used. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. The person appointed as a High Court judge can serve as a judge until he attains the age of 62 years. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. The appointment procedure or eligibility criteria for a District Judge and a Civil Judge are different. There are three to four papers in this exam, and the candidates selected in this exam shall be called for an interview round. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. On the bench in court there will be three magistrates, with one presiding magistrate who sits in the middle. 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. They're also supported by a legal assistant, or clerk - a qualified barrister or solicitor, who can give them advice on points of law. Show Will my employment affect my eligibility to become a magistrate? (LogOut/ It saddens me that applications are dwindling and as many approach the retirement age of 70 this could further deplete the numbers. Despite having close to 17 years of judicial experience between . I had five trials, but it was shambolic, and only two were kind of done. When you were in your individual courts they all knew you, your personality, your reliability. 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