INTRODUCTION

• THIS SLIDE SHOW WILL TELL YOU ABOUT

WHAT A LAY MAGISTRATE IS AND ALL

THE THINGS YOU WILL NEED TO BECOME

ONE. ALSO THIS WILL TELL YOU HOW TO

APPLY AND LOTS OF OTHER FACTS.

WHAT IS A LAY MAGISTRATE?

• LAY MAGISTRATES ARE JUDGES THAT

MAKE UP AROUND 95% OF THE

JUSTICE SYSTEM. THESE ARE

VOLUNTEERS THAT COME FROM ALL

WALKS OF LIFE. THEY HAVE A LOT OF

RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THEY

ENSURE THAT THE JUSTICE SYSTEM

RUNS SMOOTHLY.

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?• TO BE A LAY MAGISTRATE YOU NEED TO HAVE SIX

QUALITIES THESE ARE;

• BE AWARE OF SOCIAL ISSUES

• BE MATURE

• RELIABLE

• UNDERSTAND COMPLEX DOCUMENTS

• THINK LOGICALLY

• GOOD CHARACTER

WHY BECOME A MAGISTRATE?

• THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS TO BECOME A

MAGISTRATE. THE FIRST REASON IS THAT IT LOOKS

GOOD ON YOUR CV. NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN SAY THEY

HAVE BEEN A MAGISTRATE. THE SECOND IS THAT IT

CAN IMPROVE YOUR JOB PROSPECTS IN THIS AREA.

ALSO YOU GET THE CHANCE TO IMPROVE THE LOCAL

AREA BY REDUCING CRIME.

WHAT POWERS DOES A MAGISTRATE HAVE?

• FOR ONE PERSON BEING SENTENCED THEY CAN GIVE

A MAXIMUM OF 6 MONTHS IN PRISON. ALSO THEY

CAN IMPOSE A MAXIMUM OF A £5000 FINE. IF TWO

PEOPLE ARE BEING SENTENCED THIS WOULD

DOUBLE.

PERKS OF THE JOB

• EVEN THOUGH YOU DON’T GET

PAID THERE ARE STILL PERKS.

THE MAIN ONE IS THAT ALL

YOUR EXPENSES ARE PAID FOR,

THIS INCLUDES FOOD, BUSES

OR FUEL AND MORE.

DIFFERENT CASES YOU COULD BE DOING

• THE CASES RANGE DAY BY DAY BUT THE

CASES CAN RANGE FROM THEFT WHICH IS

THE MORE COMMON CASE, UP TO ASSAULT

AND RAPE. IF THE CASE IS BAD IT CAN BE

PASSED UP TO THE CROWN COURT.

LAYOUT OF THE COURT

• THE COURT LAYOUT RANGES BECAUSE OF THE BUILDING

SIZE BUT THIS PICTURE HAS THE BASIC LAYOUT AND

EVERYONE ON THE PICTURE IS WHO YOU WILL SEE. IF

YOU CAN HAVE A LOOK AROUND YOUR LOCAL COURT

BEFORE YOU APPLY.

DIFFERENT COURTS

• THERE IS THE MAGISTRATES COURT AND THEN

THERE IS THE YOUTH COURT WHICH DEALS WITH

CRIMES COMMITTED BY UNDER 18. FAMILY COURT

WHICH DEALS WITH FAMILY DISPUTES. AND THE

ADULT COURT WHICH DEALS WITH APPEALS.

HOW TO APPLY?

• YOU CAN FIND THE APPLICATION BY EITHER GOING

TO YOUR LOCAL MAGISTRATES COURT AND THEN

ASKING THE COURT USHER. OR YOU CAN GO ONTO

GOOGLE AND TYPE IN LAY MAGISTRATES

APPLICATION FORM.

CONCLUSION

• TO CONCLUDE A LAY MAGISTRATE IS A

VOLUNTEER AND CAN COME FROM ALL

WALKS OF LIFE. THEY CAN PRESIDE OVER A

RANGE OF DIFFERENT CASES AND HAVE A

BIG RESPONSIBILITY. A MAGISTRATE IS A

BIG HONOUR AND LOOKS VERY GOOD ON A

CV.