Magistrates in Wales and England are now 'older and less diverse'

According to a study by Transform Justice, magistrates are now older and less representative of ethnic communities, with 2,016  standing down in the past year leading to concerns that recruitment will continue to drop, as reported today in The Guardian.

Penelope Gibbs, Director of Transform Justice, said:

'Courtrooms where every magistrate on the bench is over 60 will become common. If magistrates are to remain representatives of the people, radical steps need to be taken to increase recruitment, and to attract younger and more diverse candidates.'