Nearly 1,500 magistrates have been appointed in the first six months of 2026, almost double the number recruited in the same period in the previous year
The Ministry of Justice is currently running a £4m recruitment campaign across television and social media, with the aim of reaching a total of 21,000 magistrates in 2028–29. More than a third of the latest recruits are under the age of 50.
Courts minister Sarah Sackman KC said: ‘A record number of people have answered the call to serve their communities as magistrates.’ Ministers are also piloting audio recording technology in seven magistrates’ courts, with a view to creating reliable records of proceedings.
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