The Ministry of Justice is on the hunt for new magistrates in the North East - and you could be the perfect fit for the job. 

People from all walks of life in Darlington are being urged to consider becoming magistrates as applications open in the area.

This appeal is part of a nationwide drive by the Judiciary of England and Wales and the Ministry of Justice to recruit 4000 new magistrates, with a focus on increased diversity. 

With no legal qualifications or experience required to be a magistrate, volunteering gives people with the chance to help their community while developing new skills.

To become a magistrate, all you need is to be between 18 and 70, and able to commit at least 13 days a year for five years. 

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Anita Atkinson, of Weardale, County Durham, has been a magistrate for 31 years. After seeing an advert in her local paper encouraging people to get involved, Anita applied. 

She said: "I really had no idea what a magistrate did, but I was a stay-at-home mum and being stuck in the house all the time can drive you nuts. I was doing it to get out of the house and stretch my brain - and I have seen all kinds of cases."

"It is all about helping the community by preventing reoffending. As a magistrate, you have to find out why people have committed a crime.

"The vast majority of people that come through our doors have a backstory, so you have to seek out that reason and apply that to come up with a solution. If we can help, it does the whole community's good."

Data from 2022 7on the diversity of the current magistracy in Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington shows an increase in the number of women (55% of the magistracy) and people under 50 (16%) volunteering to be magistrates compared to last year.

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The Judiciary of England and Wales and the Ministry of Justice are continuing to build up this diversity, and are looking to attract a wave of volunteers who are even more representative of the community they serve.

Becoming a magistrate will help you develop a range of transferrable skills, such as critical analysis, complex problem solving, mediation, influencing and decision making, as well as specific legal knowledge. 

Research from the Ministry of Justice amongst HR and business leaders showed they felt people who volunteer as magistrates were likely to have sound judgement (89%) and effective decision-making (81%).

Anita said: "If you have sound judgement and an objective mind, I would urge anyone to apply."

Applications are now open in Darlington, anyone looking to volunteer should visit icanbeamagistrate.co.uk for more information.

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