Public confidence- Like everyone else, and have life experiences. "One of the satisfying things is you get the sense that the defendant feels that they've been dealt with fairly.That might mean they are going to prison and it might mean something else but they can feel that they've been given a fair hearing. Judges often hire law clerks one to two years in advance of the date on which the clerk will actually start working for the judge. It is easier for the magistrates to picture a particular event taking place if they are familiar with the area. In addition, a disadvantage is that the lay magistrates are. Magistrates must sit for a minimum of 26 half-day sessions a year - or 13 full days. Its the little wins that really make it worth it, says Kevin Moody. Judges ensure a fair trial and pronounce the verdict after the case. Moreover, the states decide the eligibility and time for conducting the judge exams according to the vacancies available. 806 8067 22 As a law clerk, you will likely be sitting in an office with your head buried in research and writing. Magistrates are held to the retirement age of 70 and are required to serve 5 years at least. But as Roger points out, shattering the stereotypes surrounding magistrates is perfectly consistent with judicial principles. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this sites owner is strictly prohibited. Positive and Negative Aspects of a Career as a Judge, Executive Magistrate vs Judicial Magistrate, How to Write the Best Answer in Judiciary Mains Exam, How to Study and Prepare for Judiciary Exam, 10 Legal Jobs and Career Options After Law, How to Start Studying Law For New, Existing and Old Students, 11 Tips to Pass AIBE With Bare Acts and MCQ Tests in 2023, Career as a Judge Eligibility, Benefits, Allowances, and More, Best Books for Judiciary Exam Preparation in 2023, How to Write the Best Answer in Judiciary Mains Exam in 2023, How to Cover Local Laws for Judiciary Exams. What's he waiting for? Given his infectious and seemingly perpetual cheerfulness, it is hard to imagine him pouring over legal tomes and delivering stony-faced verdicts. Whether state court justices and judges have law clerks and the process of obtaining such clerkships will vary greatly from state to state. Affected parties can challenge judgments only in higher courts. It gives power, reputation, a chance to serve the nation, and various monetary and non-monetary benefits. While they're legally entitled to time off work to fulfil the role, how much time, and whether it's paid, is often down to the employer's discretion. Ministry of Justice: Who can be a magistrate? The Magistrate's broad conclusion that, for the purposes of service of process, all Scientology organizations may be treated as "agents" of Mr. Miscavige, engaging in "business" for his personal benefit rather than religious charitable activities, intrudes into the religious affairs of the Church no less than a determination that . Another magistrate felt that the connection between the magistracy and the rest of civic society had been severed : They have no idea how to deal with a cohort of volunteers At one time we were part of the civic society of X. Were more and more divorced from that. Now you are just a number. R v Birmingham Magistrates ex parte Ahmed. Cost-Magistrates are unpaid, but judges earn 90,000. However, they must have six key qualities: Good Character; Commitment and Reliability; Social Awareness; Sound Judgement; Understanding and Communication; and Maturity and Sound Temperament. Having stopped full time work four years ago at the age of 60, she was in a position to take on the unpaid role of a JP - a justice of the peace. Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, Advantages and Disadvantages of Magistrates. For Roger, the most satisfying aspect of the job is making sure everyone gets a fair hearing. As a magistrate I feel like Im giving something back and helping put people on the right path.. Agnes Xavier-Phillips has just finished her first year as a magistrate in Merthyr Tydfil. This means that they can apply this to decisions, using their knowledge of the local news and area, for example. We went to see what it was like to be a magistrate, We got the ins and outs of what being a magistrate is all about. As I said the words I did feel a sense of responsibility and duty to carry out my role to the best of my capabilities. Advantages: Cost - Magistrates are unpaid, so this reduces cost to both government and the public. More available than judges as no training is required. Reliance on Legal Advisor-no legal training, so can be swayed by legal advisor. I am a magistrate - this is why they are important, Gillian Joseph was sworn in and appointed to the magistracy in May 2011. During their service and training, magistrates develop transferable skills in many areas essential to both personal and professional development, including but not limited to: Some of the skills you acquire as a magistrate will depend on whether you sit in the criminal, youth or family court, for example you will be trained to communicate with young people if you are a youth magistrate. DeSantis won't say he's running. You can serve the nation by becoming a judge. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. And I think that value has certainly been eroded. In this post, we explain what a judicial clerkship is and the pros and cons of taking such a position! ", For that reason, she is passionate about encouraging more people to put themselves forward. Read about our approach to external linking. Most of us will hope never to set foot in one, but thousands end up appearing in court each year. Inconsistent-May forget sentences due to working only 13 days a year. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. There is a cap on the first 60 applications received. My name is Ankur. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. The opinion that magistrates are under qualified and a stereotype is inconsequential compared to all of the advantages. (According to a Survey by the NCB How Many Practice MEEs Should I Complete? I felt that I had been called upon to truly serve the community. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Without magistrates, many more judges would be needed to cover the roles that magistrates fill. let out on strict conditions - for example to keep away from named places or people . There are many advantages of magistrates and being able to discuss these in your work can help you with essay questions. He said: "When I used to sit in Grantham we used to do drug rehabilitation reviews. Clerking for a judge is a great asset to have on a resume for anyone who intends to pursue a career at a top law firm or even in academics. But away from the court, magistrates are everyday people who give up their time to give something back to the community. A number of magistrates complained that the pace of change was swift and that the training was inadequate. I was surrounded by approximately 50 other newly-appointed magistrates who each took the oath in turn. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. 'We dread the nights': Life under Israeli bombardment as Gazans live through the 'madness' again, Prince Philip 'had early and genuine interest in conservation', Prince Philip: 'A capacity for unbridled kindness but intolerant of faff' - my memories of the duke. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF BENEFITS . "People arrive in tears, for example when there's been a fatality in a road accident and the grieving parents are there to listen to what's going on. "I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, her heirs and successors, according to law.". Best Answer Writing Tips for Law Exams 2. For me its a way of doing something that actually benefits people, its a way of giving back to the community. Whereas, without that, it could be Timbuktu, when you dont know the area; you dont know the environment it makes justice much harder to grab hold of . "Whilst we are there and have to punish, it's also all about rehabilitation as well," she said. Term clerks often serve in the position for 1 to 3 years. That feels good., Magistrates were passionate about their role but many had concerns about how they were treated and the way the courts were being managed, The rate of change is probably too fast so that people feel undervalued.There isnt a chance to really feel that people are having a contribution in terms of collaboration, in terms of making suggestions as to how things might change; it is all being done to us rather than us being part of those decisions. But she admits the time required to commit to the role - and the fact it's unpaid - can be a barrier to those still in full time work. Employers are obliged by law to allow time off work for magistrates to perform their duties (see below), but it is at their discretion whether this is paid or unpaid leave. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Check out our bar exam courses here they are on sale for a limited time! Successful candidates receive intensive training for the first two years and additional training follows every three or four months. Judges safeguard the courts dignity in society without being biased or putting themselves in a risky position. Justices of the Peace should be able to listen to all sides of an argument and arrive at fair and reasonable decisions - a quality which I test continuously during domestic disputes between my three children. Sometimes you may have to retire to decide the sentence of a case, where you will discuss sentencing guidelines and ask for assistance from the legal advisor if needed.. Clerkships often attract the top students from law school; these are the same students who are generally in a position to accept jobs at the top law firms that pay really well. The other two are called wingers. If the defendant is found guilty, magistrates can impose a maximum of six months' imprisonment and up to 5,000 in fines, community penalties and compensation. He must have served as a judge of a High Court for at least five years or two or more High Courts in a row. SMW1494H06. Looking to pass the MPRE? Your email address will not be published. 2023 Magistrates Association. 4% are under 40, 50% are over 60. This was particularly heartfelt in the Welsh focus group, what you have is a civil service approach, imposed from Englandin an office in London looking at a map saying why on Earth are there loads of courts next to each other? No understanding whatsoever of the topographic, the tribal differences between those valleys and communities or the difficulty in getting from one of those areas to the next because they are valleys areas. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Carmine Proofreading, 20172022. I would encourage anyone to investigate the prospect of a life on the bench, it is both enlightening and rewarding. I was motivated to become a magistrate after years of court reporting. The catch salary. Ironically, Roger's least favourite aspect of the job is sending people to jail. As of April this year there were 1,059 magistrates in Wales. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. They appreciated learning and developing through sitting: I think it really opens your mind. The preliminary examination is an MCQ-based paper, and the person qualifying for this exam will be entitled to appear for the mains examination. I also wanted to experience an area of life that I would ordinarily never see and fulfil my civic duty. On being accepted as an intern at Livemint in 2010, he etched PRESS onto his scooter. However, it doesnt make it any less hard if they are independent. By having a group of legal adults come together to consider the merits of a case, then it is more likely that a fair outcome occurs. It is often highly regarded. Sign up for our free five-star course here! Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. There are many benefits to employers supporting their staff to be magistrates. You may also. A judge must be fair and impartial, doing everything for the sake of justice and nothing for the benefit of friends or family. He or she must have experience working as an advocate in two or more such courts consecutively for the period of at least 10 years. Benefits of being a judicial magistrate:- 1- Judges are impartial decision makers in the pursuit of justice. Law graduates are eligible to hold positions in all three branches of government: legislature, executive, and judiciary. Clerking provides a great opportunity to observe other lawyers in the courtroom setting and gain a lot of exposure to what does (and does not) work well from the perspective of the judge. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Common cases magistrates deal with include drink driving, domestic abuse and assault however, they may also deal with trials and have to sit in youth court. "We are really there as adjudicators, to look at both sides of the argument," he said. Magistrate Courts hear about 95% of criminal cases along with some civil matters and full training is provided. Students can directly give the judicial service exam after graduation to become a member of the subordinate judiciary. Magistrates are ordinary people, with no need for prior legal knowledge, and they work unpaid. These are the essential duties of a judge: Apart from the monthly salary, a judge is entitled to a lot of monthly allowances given below: The executive magistrate is the district magistrate of a particular area. "I find it really rewarding.". Once a magistrate has been accepted, they will undergo training to make sure they are ready for the role. It requires a lot of hard work to become a judge. Thats all changed. "Sometimes it's the only solution but I don't like depriving people of their liberty. I asked him if he wanted to show us something, and he brought forward this piece of paper which showed he had his first negative drug test and he was so proud of it. Theres been a turn-over of staff. 10 Legal Jobs and Career Options After Law. Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) Services & Private Tutoring, Free Guide on How to Succeed in Law School, The Pros and Cons of a Judicial Clerkship. There are two categories of judicial service exams, and the eligibility criteria for both are different. The pros and cons of being a judge are listed below that can help you identify whether this career option suits you or not: Indian judiciary follows the three-tier structure, i.e., the union judiciary (Supreme Court), state judiciary (High Courts and courts subordinate to it), and subordinate judiciary (District Courts). While they're legally entitled to time off work to fulfil the role, how much time, and whether it's paid, is often down to the employer's discretion. On the other hand the disadvantage of magistrates is that there is a . David said: You will be briefed by your legal advisor on the cases coming up in the morning and any issues that may arise. Magistrates are required to sit a minimum of 26 half days (13 full days) a year. Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarmineProofed, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarmineProofreading. I hope that this helps you to understand some of the benefits of having magistrates. Due to this reason, it is rightly said that a law degree can open the door to a wide range of careers that other degrees may not. When we make a decision, it's a structured decision.". Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. You hear the life story of homeless people, and theyre standing in front of you with absolutely nothing and you think to yourself how can I deal with this? "We need to dispel this myth that it's only for retired people.". Only 10 of the 51 magistrates from BAME backgrounds are in north Wales. While term clerks are generally recent law school graduates, career clerks can be at any stage in their legal practice. 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