There is an urgent need to support England and Wales’s 14,000 volunteer magistrates, according to Tom Franklin of the Magistrates’ Association, writing in this week’s NLJ
The ‘Magistrates Matter’ report sets out seven low-cost, high-impact reforms to boost recruitment, retention and morale. These include a national long-service medal, a clear Volunteer Charter, and an annual attitudes survey to track wellbeing and training needs.
Franklin argues that magistrates—who hear over 90% of criminal cases—are vital to local justice but face burnout and under-recognition. Without action, backlogs will worsen and diversity will suffer. He calls for better data on volunteer hours, structured feedback loops, and visible local recognition.
These measures, he says, are not special pleading but essential to system resilience. A justice system run on goodwill alone, he warns, is not sustainable.
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