Lord Chancellor's Launch Speech

Background

The launch of the Magistrates Shadowing scheme on 23 July 2001 sent out a clear message: that the Magistracy must be a body that all of our communities can engage in.

Well, that message remains as clear today – and my Department is even more committed to getting magistrates from as wide a range of the general public as possible.

The first stage of the pilot scheme, which ran from 2001 to 2002, involved 47 people from BME communities shadowing 94 magistrates in 7 different areas of the country.

Such was the success of that first year, a second phase of the scheme was launched.  This involved 100 people shadowing 200 magistrates across 12 regions.

And this year, in what will be Phase 3 of this very successful scheme, 125 people will be shadowing 250 magistrates across 15 different areas,

The scheme gives Magistrates and people from BME communities the opportunity to work alongside each other, exchanging views and sharing experiences.  We cannot overestimate the value that this has for improving the diversity of the Bench.  With the valuable contribution of those of you who are taking part, and with the help of our partners from Operation Black Vote, we can succeed in making the Magistracy a more diverse body.

We have already seen this scheme’s success.

In May 2003, Georgia Ramsay became the first participant from the scheme to be appointed as a magistrate. Since then a further 17 former participants have been appointed as magistrates.   And 30 more participants from the scheme are currently waiting on the results of applications to the Magistracy. So I have no doubt that in future this scheme will result in future applications to the Magistracy as well as new Magistrates being appointed.

Participant’s experiences

You may be aware that during the previous two schemes the shadows kept journals which were published on the website of Operation Black Vote.

One participant wrote of their experience:

"This will have a major influence for those people who are involved in the process, a lot of knowledge and experience can be shared and a positive picture (of the magistracy) portrayed within the Black and Asian community"

Another said:

"The shadowing scheme has forced me to confront my ethnicity and my Britishness and the part that I play in (that) society…we have so much to offer our communities and I hope the next generation will benefit from the in-road we make."

The same participant went on to say:

"So far my journey has been full of new experiences and I've thoroughly enjoyed it.  I gained good insight into some of the interpersonal skills required and I am hoping to become a magistrate and to continue acting as an ambassador for the shadowing scheme"

And another shadow said:

"Thus far, the scheme has already dispelled some preconceptions, which I held about the magistracy and my mentors have certainly made me feel welcomed and cemented my desire to be part of the judicial process"

Feedback from participants shows that the Shadowing Scheme changed some of their perceptions of the court system.  Some of them wrote that they no longer viewed it as a 'them and us' system, but rather as an integral part of the wider community.    Magistrates’ Qualities

Wanting to play a part in one’s community is a key aspect of becoming a Magistrate. You also have to demonstrate certain key qualities.  You must be of good character, sound judgement, mature temperament and have the commitment to be able to attend for a minimum of 26 half days in a year.

Such qualities are not the preserve of any one group in society but are to be found in people coming from all walks of life.  They are qualities that people taking part in the Shadowing Scheme had to demonstrate during the selection process.  And they are the qualities that the magistrates here today have to show whenever they sit on the Bench.

So although participants come from different backgrounds, have different faith systems, and cultural experiences, there is one important thing they share.  They are all people who care about their communities enough to want to make a difference.  And people who can bring about that difference by making a vital contribution to the administration of local criminal justice.

Increasing diversity

In recent years we have undertaken a considerable amount of work to ensure that the magistracy is a reflection of the community it serves.  We continue to look for ways of broadening the makeup of magistrates' benches - and the Magistrates Shadowing Scheme will help us to achieve this aim.

The scheme will offer more people the opportunity to examine the way magistrates work. Hopefully many of the participants will apply to become magistrates, enabling the magistracy to benefit from all the different skills, cultures, life experience and backgrounds found in every community throughout our country.

Future of the Scheme

Those who participated in the pilot scheme paved the way for a hugely successful scheme that has already achieved a great deal.  Judging by the success of that scheme and the second phase, which followed it, I am certain that the scheme’s success will only expand further in its next phase.

Those shadowing the Magistrates have taken up the challenge of entering a world they know little about.  I hope that in the future, these individuals will be to raise the profile of the Magistracy by acting as its ambassadors within their communities.  And, I also hope that many of them will go on to become magistrates themselves.  

The Shadowing Scheme is a unique partnership that includes DCA, OBV, the Magistrates Association and the courts.  It is this unique collaboration that has brought considerable success and has proved to be a good model to bring communities to the heart of civic society.

There are a number of unsung heroes whose hard work behind the scenes has ensured the project has been successful.  These include the court clerks, officials at DCA and the project co-ordinators at OBV.

So allow me to take this opportunity to thank you all for your commitment to the scheme; the shadows for setting out on this journey of discovery, and the magistrates who already play a significant part in making our communities better and safer places.  Your participation in helping to make these communities more inclusive is much appreciated and I thank you for that.

Let me also thank the Justices Clerks and court staff for helping to make the system more accessible to under-represented groups.  I extend a very special thanks to Simon Woolley, Winsome Cornish and Francine Fernandes from Operation Black Vote, whose help in running the scheme and keeping the disparate elements working together is invaluable.

And may I wish the very best of luck to those of you embarking on the third phase of the shadowing scheme – whether you are shadowing, or being shadowed for the first time, or a past participant, who continues to support the scheme in its next phase, I hope you enjoy all aspects of your involvement and find the experience rewarding.

I look forward to hearing all your success stories. Thank you.