Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Magistrate Recruitment

Tuesday 3 February 2026 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial funding increased to address a 1.3 billion maintenance backlog in UK courts.
  • Historical underfunding left many UK courts in poor condition, affecting magistrate recruitment and retention.
  • Lee Barron's 20-year service as a magistrate highlights the long-term commitment required for the role.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Anneliese Dodds Labour (Co-op) Oxford East
Policing & Resources Justice & Courts
Context

The leaks and other faults in Oxford Magistrates Court were causing issues that made it harder to recruit and retain magistrates. The court's maintenance backlog was previously a significant issue, impacting recruitment and retention.

Question

After many years of the Oxford magistrates court being in a terrible state, I am relieved that the leaks and other faults are finally being repaired. It is obviously harder to recruit and retain magistrates if they are serving in unacceptable conditions, so I am grateful that this is being sorted out, and grateful for the measures that the Secretary of State has announced about recruitment. Will he let the House know what he is doing around retention, because surely that is very important as well?

Answer from David Lammy (Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

My right hon. Friend is right; there was historical underfunding, which sadly left our courts with a £1.3 billion maintenance backlog. We increased the capital maintenance budget this year to deal with the problems that we inherited in our courts. She is right: magistrates are key. They are the cornerstone of our lay system, with 90% of criminal cases passing through the magistrates courts. We will be recruiting more, but streamlining the system and supporting magistrates with training is also key to retention, and we will invest in that as well.

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Q2 Lee Barron Lab Corby and East Northamptonshire
Justice & Courts
Context

Historically, the average age of new magistrates has been high. The questioner suggests that this is because the process of becoming a magistrate can be complex and off-putting.

Question

Back in 2004, I became a magistrate—a position that I held for 20 years. When I first walked into the magistrates’ retiring room, I thought everybody in there had retired, because I brought the average age down by about 30 years. That shows that the position is a commitment—people serve for years—and how hard it can be to get younger people involved. First, what is the Department doing to properly recognise and reward long-serving magistrates who keep the system going? Secondly, what is being done to bring in more young justices of the peace, so that magistrates better reflect the communities that they serve?

Answer from David Lammy (Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

I congratulate my hon. Friend on his service as a magistrate. He is right: we want people from all walks of life, all backgrounds and all ages to feel able to serve in their local community and be a magistrate. He will be pleased to hear that 41% of newly appointed magistrates last year were under 50, as opposed to getting towards the pension age. There is more we can do. Some of that is around simplifying the procedures, and people understanding how to become magistrates, because the complexity of the system was unbelievable, and actually put people off applying.

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