BBC Newsbeat
BBC NewsMagistrates like Megan are a rare sight in the courts.
She’s 22 years old, making her one of 176 people under 30 registered for the volunteer roles in England and Wales.
That’s 1.2% of the total number of magistrates – 14,576 – compared with 1.1% in 2020.
Current and former governments have agreed on the need for more diverse volunteers to avoid perceived discrimination or ageism.
Despite repeated calls for younger volunteers, the justice system is struggling to sign them up, and the government says it wants to improve recruitment campaigns.
‘I wanted to help my community’
Mum-of-two Megan – who wants to become a barrister – juggles childcare and her law studies with overseeing cases at Southampton Magistrates’ Court.
Magistrates usually work in groups of three and oversee less serious crimes such as shoplifting, speeding or anti-social behaviour.
These offences make up about 90% of all cases, with punishments that include fines or prison sentences.
They’ve recently been given the power to hand out longer jail terms – up to 12 months – to help cut down a backlog of court cases.
“It’s part of the job”, Megan says.
“It can be a bit of a shock. It is someone’s life. But they did that crime, we have the sentencing guidelines and that’s what we’re going by”.
Megan jokes that you don’t often get people with piercings and tattoos handing out court judgements.
But she thinks that’s usually a good thing.
“It takes out that initial judgment and it makes defendants feel more comfortable,” she says.
“They’re looking at someone they see who’s similar to them, and they think what’s going to happen… it’s going to be fair.”
Getty ImagesThe Ministry of Justice has repeatedly said it wants more people under 30 to volunteer.
Critics argue that it’s hard for young people to give up the time, especially if they’re on a low income, even though expenses such as travel are usually paid for.
Megan thinks it’s “a positive” that there’s no money involved.
“It brings the right people in and the people you want,” she says. “They’re doing it for their community and for the justice system.”
She thinks the bigger barrier is misconceptions about what the job involves and who can sign up.
“Most people look at a magistrate and think they have a law degree or a law background, but that’s not the case at all,” she says.
“You don’t need any qualifications for it and you can come from any background and any career”.
Would-be magistrates do need to attend a short training course, swear an oath, and commit to working at least 13 days each year.
Those recently found guilty of a crime are unlikely to be allowed to volunteer.
If a lack of understanding is the problem, it’s one officials have so far failed to solve.
In January 2022, the last Conservative government announced what it said was the biggest recruitment call in 650 years for new magistrates. It aimed to recruit 4,000 new ones, with a £1m campaign to – in part – target younger people.
Despite this spending, there was no major breakthrough after 2022.
Now, the Labour-run Ministry of Justice is making the same plea.
A spokesperson from the department tells BBC Newsbeat that “the government wants to ensure that the magistracy reflects the diversity of the communities it serves, including age, background and experience”.
“We continue to evaluate and improve our recruitment campaigns to ensure we recruit a diverse group of magistrates,” they add.
Megan’s message to others her age is simple.
“If you want to help your community, especially if you have an interest in the legal system, I would just say: ‘Apply’.”
