The Secret Magistrate

Every criminal case starts in a magistrates’ court, and most end there. Last year, the 14,000 magistrates of England & Wales dealt with almost 1.4 million cases.

But, what exactly does a magistrate do? Who are they? And how are they recruited and trained?
Are they out-of-touch and unrepresentative of society in 2020? Or are magistrates still fit for purpose with a role to play in today’s increasingly sophisticated and complex judicial system?

With remarkable candour and openness – plus a healt...