By serving as magistrates, these volunteers help uphold the rule of law and contribute to the overall well-being of the community. However, the effectiveness of the magistracy depends significantly on the support it receives from the community, particularly from employers.
We wish therefore to talk to you about how you can help to encourage employees, members and stakeholders to serve as magistrates, which can benefit your organisation with transferable skills and will demonstrate a commitment to community engagement and social responsibility. This will help enhance your organisation's reputation and foster a sense of pride and loyalty among your employees or members.
We have worked hard over recent years to increase the diversity of the magistracy, and we now have more younger and employed magistrates than ever before. Unfortunately, they often struggle to fit in their court sittings alongside their employment, and it can be difficult to both attract and retain them. Employers who offer flexible working arrangements and value the importance of the magistrate's role to the workplace, enable their employees to serve without undue stress or conflict. It is crucial for us to work together with employers to support this vital institution.
The last Employers' Engagement Event took place at the House of Lords on 15th October. It was hosted by Baroness Sater and introduced by Baroness Levitt, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice. I am delighted to report it was a great success with representatives from various FTSE 100 companies and large national organisations present, but with a significant recruitment campaign beginning in the New Year we need to work even harder to promote the magistracy and heighten people's awareness of the role.
We are therefore holding another event - an Employers' Engagement Webinar on 21st January 2026 at 12.45 - 14.00 – we hope the convenience of this medium will enable many more people to attend. Here is the link.
The event will be launched by Minister Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services for the Ministry of Justice, and continues to be supported by Baroness Sater and Mary Macleod. Magistrates, members of the Ministry of Justice Policy and PR teams, as well as HMCTS Legal Operations will also be present.
