Because most of us live in our world. Before we start thinking about the advantages of magistrates, we will first consider what they are and how the magistrates' courts work. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. Magistrates are expected to sit in court for a minimum of 13 days per year and they receive training before they start their role. "Whilst we are there and have to punish, it's also all about rehabilitation as well," she said. The catch salary. 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. When we make a decision, it's a structured decision.". He hasn't been to journalism school, as evident by his refusal to end articles with 'ENDS' or 'EOM'. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Deciding whether a prison sentence or a Community Order is most appropriate can be the catalyst for someone turning their life around. * Anyone 18 and over can apply. What transferable skills will a magistrate bring to an organisation? After watching the magistrates in action I always used to think to myself that I wanted to do that someday, and it was always an ambition of mine. The person appointed as a High Court judge can serve as a judge until he attains the age of 62 years. 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. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. For Roger, the most satisfying aspect of the job is making sure everyone gets a fair hearing. Magistrates must have six key qualities. "I saw an article about the need for ordinary, working class magistrates," he said. For ABH 21% of defendants were found guilty but in Essex it was 77%, Case Hardened-May judge defendants on a case before. Follow these steps to become a successful magistrate: 1. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please That feels good." You have powers that are often life changing to people. The main motive was to make a modern law website that is clean, comfortable, and has few ads. 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). Show Will my employment affect my eligibility to become a magistrate? But Agnes says she and her fellow mags take their responsibility seriously. There are around 30,000 magistrates in England and Wales, dealing with around 97 per cent of all criminal cases. I was motivated to become a magistrate after years of court reporting. When you look at a defendant regardless of the circumstances you look at them as human beings.. The Supreme Court of India comprises one Chief Justice of India and 33 other judges. Find out what they had to say here. 806 8067 22 Contact Carmine Proofreading for a friendly, professional service from a qualified proofreader. Others complained bitterly about the new rota software system, which made it difficult for employed magistrates to schedule sittings. In doing so they both give back to the community in a valuable way and invest in staff development. 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. Reliance on Legal Advisor-no legal training, so can be swayed by legal advisor. Sky News presenter Gillian Joseph is a court magistrate. As the UPSC exams are conducted for the whole country, in the same way, AIJS will be conducted for the judges on the central level. He said: I was the director on the London Underground and I started sitting as a magistrate whilst I was still working. I put to her the point made by criminal solicitor Katy Hanson, that while there are flaws in the system, it's preferable to digitally entering a crime and plea and waiting for a computer to decide your fate. Magistrates embody one of the most important tenets of the criminal justice system - the principle that defendants are judged by their peers. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. We will also look more closely at the magistrates themselves and consider the benefits they bring. 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) Required fields are marked *. Supporting your employee to fulfil their duties as a magistrate is an innovative way of supporting staff development. Some good news after almost 11 months of applying and interviews and lots of rejections finally got an offer! Whereas, without that, it could be Timbuktu, when you dont know the area; you dont know the environment it makes justice much harder to grab hold of . Once a magistrate has been accepted, they will undergo training to make sure they are ready for the role. "It affects me but it doesn't affect my decisions. "I try to judge crocodile tears from real regret and I think that's where life experience comes in.". Of course, magistrates are not entirely free there are still some costs associated with them. Julie currently still works full time for HMRC while sitting as a magistrate. Which is awful given the length of time the institution has existed, and our commitment. While they are paid expenses and compensated for loss of earnings, magistrates attend court for a minimum of 26 half-day sessions a year. 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). In addition, magistrates are a relatively cheap option for the legal system compared to judges. In NYC small firm, ex big law folks, no billable hours, niche practice area, appearance of forwarded thinking firm, remote till who knows when, emphasis on pro bono initiatives and building book of business. 2023 Magistrates Association. Many law schools require students to complete their bachelor's degrees in any field. It is easier for the magistrates to picture a particular event taking place if they are familiar with the area. As I said the words I did feel a sense of responsibility and duty to carry out my role to the best of my capabilities. A judge must determine the guilt or innocence of criminal defendants in criminal court and impose punishments on those found guilty. Many supportive employers allow magistrates leave for their public duties in addition to their normal holiday entitlement. Judges safeguard the courts dignity in society without being biased or putting themselves in a risky position. Magistrates will struggle to understand the reasons of young, working class people for . Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, Advantages and Disadvantages of Magistrates. All the interviewees were asked about the job satisfaction of being a magistrate. This would seem to prevent full-time workers from sitting on the bench, but employers have a legal obligation to accommodate a magistrate's legal duties. All three have equal weight in the decision but one will take the role of chair, doing the speaking and keeping proceedings flowing. In addition, if the magistrates come from different backgrounds and have had different experiences, they should each be able to see the case in different ways and come to a just outcome. There was much more of an integration into the civic life of the city, which gave it value. The length of time since they committed the offence is also a factor. Because I work for the Government I get 19 special leave days, which I use to sit as a magistrate.. 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. Ministry of Justice: Who can be a magistrate? On the other hand the disadvantage of magistrates is that there is a . The appointment of judges depends upon the vacancies available. Despite having close to 17 years of judicial experience between . Everything is going well. 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. Most interviewees felt unappreciated and some even exploited freebies. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. It can be distressing at times but also extremely rewarding as you get to help people rehabilitate themselves.. But because of the time commitment involved and the fact that the role is filled by unpaid volunteers, the majority of magistrates are middle-class retired professionals. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. 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. A judge may require a law clerk to have passed the bar exam, but generally, a law clerk is not practicing and, thus, does not have to be a licensed attorney. "Sometimes it's inevitable they go back into remand, but it's always very much based on the individual. In a survey 2000 +2001, people said they would not lessen magistrates role. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. 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. 'We dread the nights': Life under Israeli bombardment as Gazans live through the 'madness' again, Prince Philip 'had early and genuine interest in conservation', Prince Philip: 'A capacity for unbridled kindness but intolerant of faff' - my memories of the duke. 2- Judges enjoys great honor in the society. The jury system uses a specific group size to help reduce bias. "If magistrates are meant to represent and understand the community, they've got to be representative in more than one sense. 1) Magistrates are volunteers and therefore it is cheaper! The exam will promote the right talent from lower levels to higher levels. "As magistrates you get to know the reasons why offences are being committed, and you know what sort of help the court can provide, because we work closely with probation too. NCAOC PROJECTS THAT INVOLVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAGISTRATES Project Description of Project Benefits Magistrate Video Project (MVP) The Magistrate Video Project (MVP) provides software and . These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. 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. Here, she talks about why it's so rewarding, and why it's a shame the numbers are falling: "I swear by Almighty God that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth the Second, in the office of Justice of the Peace and I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of the realm without fear or favour, affection or ill will. I find all the interference behind the scenes which blocks us from doing what we want to do totally and utterly irritating. Several issues contributed to their unhappiness, 1) The closure of courts and diminution of local justice, Many interviewees felt that the magistracy was rooted in local justice and this value had been undermined by the closure of courts and the way it was done. Before we start thinking about the advantages of magistrates, we will first consider what they are and how the magistrates courts work. Application forms can be found on the website www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-magistrate-application-form. 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. They are appointed by the President on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. Your email address will not be published. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Something went wrong, please try again later. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Thank you for your love and support. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. More than half were over 60. "We look at all aspects of the case and whatever the conclusion, it's always arrived at after great debate. Ironically, Roger's least favourite aspect of the job is sending people to jail. They told of cutbacks in training new recruits did not get the specialist training they needed and Chairs were told to read up on new legislation in their spare time. It gives the power to erode the evils existing in society. Another aspect which is difficult is when people are blatantly lying or they say no comment in court. 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. A Gannett Company. Its especially hard to see how people have fallen down the scale of life. Even though youre the chairman it doesnt necessarily mean that you have the final say as your wingers may disagree with your decision. He or she must be of age group between 21 to 35 years (age differs from state to state). Candidates called for interviews are three times the number of vacancies available. Thats all changed. 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. 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