OBV: A judiciary for all

Operation Black Vote and the Lord Chancellor's Department (LCD) have re-launched the successful Magistrate Shadowing Scheme to find participants from Black and other minority ethnic communities across the UK to take part in this year's project.

The country's first ever Magistrates Shadowing scheme launched by the Lord Chancellor and welcomed by magistrates courts across the UK was a great success and many participants have already applied to become magistrates.

The 2003 scheme will allow over 50 people from Black and other ethnic minority communities around the country to shadow over one hundred magistrates for a period of 6 months. The project aims to help address the deficit of Black and other ethnic minorities within the magistracy.

Georgia Ramsey, who participated in the pilot and has become the first scheme shadow to be appointed as a magistrate said: "I am thrilled to be appointed, it is very important that the racial and ethnic mix within the magistracy reflects local communities. Support for the scheme has been extremely widespread and I am pleased to be paving the way for others." The Lord Chancellor said: "The Government is strongly committed to a lay magistracy which reflects and understands the local community that it serves. We are also strong supporters of initiatives that break down barriers to an understanding of the criminal justice system. The pilot scheme has demonstrated that with commitment on all sides those goals can be achieved".

Simon Woolley, of Operation Black Vote stated: "This scheme follows on from the success of our MP shadowing scheme which as a long-term project will ensure greater representation within our decision making institutions. It is particularly pleasing that the success of the project is also being seen outside of London".

This year's Magistrates Shadowing Scheme areas are Merseyside, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby & South Derbyshire, Walsall, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bradford, Lancashire (Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale), London, Oxfordshire and West Hertfordshire (Watford & Hemel Hempstead).

Notes to the editors The Operation Black Vote Shadowing Scheme is the first to specifically target ethnic minorities.