Your article on a possible U-turn for magistrates to sit with a judge in a proposed “swift court” throws up a major obstacle (Plans to limit jury trials in England and Wales may be watered down after backlash, 12 January). Where are these additional magistrates going to come from? The magistracy is the linchpin of our criminal justice system and it is already stretched.
Recruitment of suitable volunteers is not easy. The commitment is high, and the criteria are quite properly tight. In January 2022 there was a £1m campaign to recruit 4,000 new magistrates. By April 2024, only 2,008 new magistrates had been appointed. The success rate of applicants in the year ending March 2025 was only 22%.
