The Ministry of Justice has launched a major new drive to recruit thousands of volunteer magistrates across England and Wales, in a bid to tackle the severe backlog plaguing the justice system.
Ambitious Recruitment Targets
The government wants to bring in 2,000 new volunteer magistrates in the next financial year. This significant push follows a series of reforms intended to speed up justice for victims and reduce the persistent delays in crown courts.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy has championed the initiative, highlighting the crucial role magistrates play. He has called on people from all walks of life to consider volunteering to serve their local communities.
Proposed Powers and Potential Reforms
As part of the wider shake-up, ministers are proposing to increase magistrates' sentencing powers. Currently, they can jail offenders for up to 12 months, but this could be raised to 18 months, and potentially even 24 months.
More controversially, the government is also considering scrapping jury trials for some specific cases to help streamline the process and clear the backlog more quickly.
Mixed Reactions from Justice Stakeholders
The Magistrates' Association has welcomed the recruitment campaign, seeing it as a positive step to bolster the ranks of these vital volunteers.
However, the move has faced criticism from political opponents. The Shadow Justice Minister has attacked David Lammy's record, arguing that this drive is merely an attempt to paper over deeper, systemic failures within the courts and justice system.
The recruitment drive was announced on Saturday 3 January 2026, as the government seeks to implement its plans to restore efficiency to the courts.
