Community nurse in Portsmouth wants others to consider volunteering for vital justice role to give back to community
An NHS community staff nurse, who also plays a big part in their local community as a magistrate, wants more people to volunteer to help deliver justice in the South East.
No legal qualifications, degree or experience is required to be a magistrate. Volunteers will be given thorough training as well as ongoing support to help make decisions on cases in criminal or family court. Magistrates work closely in groups of three with a legal adviser, who offers guidance on the law.
Claire, 39, who became a magistrate in 2023, says: “I’d always thought and niggled with the idea of becoming a magistrate but it wasn’t until I went through the family courts myself due to a divorce that I decided to finally sign up and give something back.
“The first time you sit as a magistrate is the first time you ever look at a court the opposite way around.
“You don’t need any legal experience – it’s just about being a good listener, being fair and being able to volunteer at least 13 days a year, plus training. Being a magistrate makes you a rounded individual. You learn about the local issues in the community and come across people who may have come from completely different backgrounds to you, so you learn a lot about other people and your area.”
Claire, mother-of-three, adds: “Being a magistrate helps me in my day-to-day role too as a community nurse. It’s helped with lots of transferable skills from critical thinking, confidence, being able to manage tricky situations and being able to see things from another point of view.
“When I was training to become a nurse, it was long shifts and hard work whilst raising three children alone. On the days I sat on the bench as a magistrate, I actually felt like I had a bit of a break and could focus on something else.”
From teachers to electricians, to stay-at-home parents, anyone aged between 18 and 74 who can commit to at least 13 days a year, plus training for at least five years is encouraged to come forward and apply to become a magistrate.
Claire, adds: “It’s a great privilege to be entrusted to deliver justice in your community – I'd highly recommend it to people who want to play a part in what is a core role in our judicial system. For people with children like me, it’s perfectly do-able to balance family, work and volunteering – you can plan the days you sit in court six months in advance.
“If you are someone who wants to make a difference in society, give back to your community and help to deliver justice, then you should consider volunteering. All training, including legal advice with support from a legal adviser and other members of the panel, is provided.”
The Judiciary of England and Wales, and The Ministry of Justice, is aiming to boost numbers by recruiting 2,000 new magistrates across England and Wales by March 2026.
The voluntary role offers various transferable skills such as critical thinking, decision-making and time management, and helps to reduce the court backlog.
A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “We actively support staff to take part in civic duties, such as serving as a magistrate, through our special leave policy.
“These roles build valuable skills that colleagues bring back into patient care. We are proud of Claire and all our staff who volunteer their time to support local communities.”
Mark Beattie JP, National Chair of the Magistrates’ Association, said: “Magistrates are volunteers and are integral to our justice system, hearing more than 90 per cent of all criminal cases in adult and youth courts, as well as many of the cases in the family courts. The work that they do is vital, not only to the smooth running of justice, but also to delivering justice – supporting communities in which they live.
“Our members also tell us that volunteering is incredibly rewarding too, and, as the only independent voice of magistrates in England and Wales, we at the Magistrates’ Association fully support this drive to encourage more people of all ages to apply to become magistrates.”
Interested? Register your interest and for more information at Magistrates Recruitment - Volunteer as a magistrate.