Magistrates courted in new recruitment drive (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Magistrates courted in new recruitment drive

Roger Coleman outside Chippenham Magistrates' Court A RECRUITMENT drive has been launched to boost the number of magistrates in the county.

But this time the recruiters are hoping to dismiss the notion that only the retired can apply.

Commitment, sound judgement and reliability are the qualities needed to become a magistrate.

The role has a huge responsibility as they make life-changing decisions every day.

Magistrates are not trained judges but members of the public who want to "put something back into the community".

They deal with offenders in less serious criminal cases such as theft, public order and motoring offences.

On the advice of court clerks and within certain guidelines, they decide the penalty for each offence, within set guidelines.

There is currently a recruiting drive to attract a more diverse mix of applicants.

Bosses hope to appeal to a wider ethnic group and attract employed workers rather than people who are retired or self-employed.

Roger Coleman has been a magistrate for 20 years and sits on the North West Wilts Advisory Sub Committee that recruits new magistrates.

"We are keen to attract members of the public from the wider community, from all walks of life," he said.

"We want the magistrates to be as diverse as the community they serve.

"It is a very valuable service and is putting something back into the community."

Serving magistrates will go to court once every two to three weeks.

Mr Coleman, 58, of Westwood, Bradford on Avon, said being a magistrate was a challenging but rewarding job.

He also points out the value of employers allowing workers to take paid leave to serve.

He said: "They are many skills that are transferable to the workplace.

"Working in a team, judgement and responsibility as well as analysing and solving problems.

He said: "You are trying to strike a balance between what the public might expect, the rehabilitation of offenders and some element of punishment. It is a lot of responsibility and my colleagues and I take the role very seriously."

After the recruiting process, successful applicants are given training and advice to prepare them for the job.

New magistrate Sally Matthews, from Chippenham, said: "I did some research on the internet and discovered similarities between my own skill sets and the required core competencies of a magistrate.

"I saw this as one way of giving something back to the local community that had kept me and my family safe while we were growing up.

"I wanted to do something worthwhile and rewarding and while some days in court can be challenging I have found the experience to be both of these."

Anyone who is interested should visit: www.magistrates.gov.uk or phone 0800 003 007.