Could you be a magistrate?

[Netcurtainnelly]

There's a big volunteer recruitment drive for magistrates at the moment?
Does it interest you?

hope its ok to ask, how common is the jealousy aspects of the poly scene ?

I don't think jealousy is so much of an issue with people I know, as the communication is really involved. There's an idea that every day you actively choose to be with those partners, so it can make you feel happy knowing that partners wouldn't spend time with you if they didn't want to. I don't worry about my two life partners as I know how they feel about me. But envy is definitely a thing - I can feel envious if a DP were to spend more time with another partner, or doing things with others that they say they don't want to do with me. Again it's important for us to vocalise our worries, and work it out. I think jealousy in my monogamous past has been more of a self esteem issue, worried that they might prefer someone else, and once I realised that I tried to work on myself.

I have never asked a fellow Magistrate what they do in bed
I think your idea of what's involved is quite strange

I would but my scoliosis wouldn't.

Jury duty was pure agony enough for me.☹️

Oh they have much comfier chairs than the Jurors!

Yes I’m very interested but there aren’t any vacancies in my area.

No Magistrate has ever discussed their sex life with me. Do you usually share your 'private' life with the people you work with ?

I considered it years ago. I attended meetings an sat in on several court days.
The two weeks inital training was in the midde of August when we had bookedour holiday.
In retrospect, I am glad I didn't go ahead with it.

I’d love to do it but I work FT

I applied last July in London and my application has not progressed. I received an apologetic email a few weeks ago but it sounds like they haven’t even interviewed the cohort before mine. An utter shambles. It doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence!

So do a lot of us. Ask your employer about paid time off.

Oh it is a shambles! It took a colleague 18 months to get from applying to the swearing in ceremony! Honestly the cogs grind very slowly...

That's including two minimum court observations, two minimum interviews, presumably initial training.
Not dynamic, but not overly long

I would love to but can’t due to my profession (not my sex life) but I don’t understand how anyone does things like this for no money.

I am assuming it’s much more challenging that jury service and so I don’t understand why they can’t give you money for it.

I get that they want to make it fair by not having money as an incentive but surely that aspect alone means only certain types of people can do it.

Another magistrate here. I sit in adult crime and youth crime but don’t do family court.

I’ve been doing it for over 10 years now and the stereotype self-important/ doctors wife type has largely been weeded out.

State school here but I’m pretty sure that your education does
not rule you out of anything nor is it actually asked about! I am self-employed and professionally qualified though which gives me the flexibility to sit. I do claim financial loss allowance for days I sit.

The vast majority of legal advisers are great and they provide invaluable advice. We don’t just make up sentences, there are sentencing guidelines which we need to stick to or explain exactly why we are stepping outside of those guidelines.

For me, I have always been interested in crime and criminal justice and it provides an interesting way to give back and consider the best thing to do in individual cases.

I have visited 4 prisons and it is expected that you visit one as part of your training. It would not be right to send people to prison without actually knowing what they are like. It was eye opening for sure but the young offenders institution was far worse.

While the requirement is a minimum 13 days per year very few sit that little. I do an average of two days a month.

Finally, there will be mass recruitment over the next couple of years due to upcoming extended powers of magistrate’s courts and the increased workload that will bring.

If in Scotland, look into being a panel member for Children’s Hearings Scotland, instead. Like being a magistrate for children’s welfare, care, treatment, and justice. Much more rewarding!
https://www.chscotland.gov.uk/

I used to be a volunteer for the Independent Monitoring Board, based in a prison. Gave it up when Covid hit and I returned to nursing. They are probably also looking for volunteers.

Education doesn’t matter you’re right.

No this didn't include training and it was one interview. You don't start training until after you have been sworn in.

No. I would want revenge, as do most people who are wronged. But that’s not the point, and with respect, that would also be a very good reason for me not to be involved in any processes that are connected to that offence. The point I’m making is that, where I live, which may or may not be generalisable to a wider region, the people who do volunteer have a particular profile and a sense of personal entitlement that is visible from space. I would not want to be put in the same category. But equally I’m aware of the alternative argument that if the job is left to those whose initial inclination is to do it then it will only ever be performed by those who should never be allowed anywhere near it

So today I checked my workplace’s volunteer policy and we can take 10 paid days a year for volunteering (I know magistrates need a minimum of 13 days per year but I have generous annual leave and usually carry 5 days over). Fuck it, I’m gonna apply. Do observations days just mean sitting in court watching trials? How do you prove you did this? The application process isn’t hugely explanatory! But at least 2 observations are required before I can even apply

Yes, observations are just going into court to observe the business of the day. Pick different days of the week, as this gives you the best chance of seeing different work on the two days. For example, my home court does Remands every day, but traffic on Fridays only. You might not see a trial, but will almost certainly see the management of cases, and a good deal of sentencing.

Courts are public buildings, so you can go at any time; my advice would be to go straight to the ushers’ desk/office, explain why you’re there, and ask for their help/guidance. They’ll know which courts are likely to be busiest, but also the courts where mags are sitting, rather than a judge. I would aim to be there from 9.30 (court starts at 10, but worth getting there earlier to get yourself in and settled) until lunch, which is usually 1. At that point, I’d take a view about the afternoon; if you’ve seen a busy morning with a variety of cases, you might well want to leave it at that.

Just make a note of the dates, you’ll need to mention them on your application; I’m pretty sure the dates won’t be checked. That said, I would expect at least one of the interviews to touch upon your observations, for example what you saw and your thoughts.

Good luck, hope all goes well.

How rude.

Amazing! Good luck

In addition to the response from NewWinger, ask at Reception or one of the Ushers which court(s) has what type of case(s) and they’ll know how to get you something worth seeing.

If you can, introduce yourself to the Usher of the court you go into, tell them why you are there and say you might be taking notes for your own use. If you strike lucky you might be invited to meet the Mags and have a brief chat to them. We always did if possible if our Usher said there was a potential applicant in court.

At interview you may be asked what sort of cases you observed and your thoughts about what you saw.

Sorry, edited to say I've repeated some of NewWinger's response - maybe that shows it's good advice ? 😂