A RECRUITMENT drive to find some 150 new magistrates for courts including Okehampton and Exeter has been launched.
The Magistrates Courts Committee is seeking new justices of the peace to sit in Exeter, West, East and Mid Devon and is very keen on attracting younger applicants. Every year new magistrates are needed to maintain the strength as others retire from 'the bench', yet not many people are aware this is a voluntary role in the community.
Applicants can come from any business or profession but need to be people of integrity, with common sense and a good knowledge of people, the local community and a balanced outlook on life.
A formal interview and extensive training will be conducted before they can take their place on a bench of three in their local court.
This is an ancient and valuable role in the community, still based on the original principle that the first application of the justice system should be made locally and by people from the locality.
The selectors try to achieve a political balance, a gender and ethnic balance and, as far as possible, a broad spread of careers and professions represented across the bench that reflects the community as a whole.
No formal qualifications are required, so a middle ranking active trade unionist is therefore just as likely to be suitable for appointment as a marketing consultant, a housewife, a farmer or a builder. Everything depends on their personal qualities.
Magistrates can remain on the bench up to the age of 70 although in practice the committee looks for younger applicants to balance the age range. The youngest at present is 37 and the average age is 57, with efforts being made to bring that down.
Travelling expenses are paid and for those magistrates who can demonstrate actual financial loss, there is a compensation system.
The amount of time expected varies but sittings are planned in advance by a rota system and should mean that around 35 half days a year are needed for attendance at court. There is also an ongoing commitment to training required each year.
Peter Hill, who is currently the Mayor of West Devon, has been a magistrate for 32 years, starting when he was in his 30s and working in the family bakery.
For many years he has taken a close interest in the work of the family court, where he finds the task completely different from criminal cases: 'You need to make sure you fully understand all the circumstances that surround the events — it's not usually about straightforward law breaking — we need to be very careful, for the sake of the children.
'It is absolutely critical that we persuade many more young people to become magistrates, especially for this kind of work.'
Helena Feltham from Northlew was appointed last year and completed her training before starting her first sittings in January. She has a young family and has started up her own consultancy in human resources.
'The training was well organised and very comprehensive and it gave me a good level of confidence before my first sitting,' she said.
'You then have a mentor magistrate appointed to look after you and to whom you can talk about your experiences and any worries you have.'
Helena, who sits at both Okehampton and Exeter courts, said everyone had been very friendly and welcoming and it has taken much less time than she had thought to gain confidence and begin to feel that she was contributing to hearings.
Further information and application forms, which should be submitted before October 31, are available from Sally Veasey at the offices of the magistrates courts committee in Exeter on 01392 814814.