"Justice Secretary David Lammy said magistrates served "a vital role" in the court system and "we need more people of every age and background to volunteer"."
""Volunteering to become a magistrate can make a real difference to your life and the lives of others - that's why I'm calling on the public to apply and play your part,""
"Shadow justice minister Kieran Mullan said while the recruitment drive was welcome, the move "cannot paper over the failings of a justice secretary and Labour government that has consistently failed to deliver meaningful reform"."
The government has launched a recruitment drive to add thousands of volunteer magistrates in England and Wales to tackle the crown court backlog. The Ministry of Justice reports more than 2,000 magistrates trained since 2022 and aims to train another 2,000 within the next financial year. Justice Secretary David Lammy described magistrates as "everyday heroes" and urged people of every age and background to volunteer. December reforms include removing juries from a number of trials to speed the justice process. More than 79,600 criminal cases are currently in the backlog, projected to reach 100,000 by 2028, potentially delaying some trials until 2030. The Magistrates' Association welcomed the push as a "big vote of confidence" but called for more resources, trained legal advisers, and repairs to court buildings, while the shadow justice minister warned recruitment cannot mask systemic failings.
Read at www.bbc.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]