Justice written question – answered at on 26 October 2010.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will undertake a review of the requirement for magistrates to retire from the bench at the age of 70 years.
There are currently no plans to undertake a review. The retirement age for magistrates is 70 and is set in statute under section 13 of the Courts Act 2003. This is in line with the retirement age for the vast majority of other judicial offices.
The contribution of magistrates of all ages is invaluable. However, it is important that magistrates reflect the diverse communities they serve. While there has been positive progress on ethnic and gender diversity, 82% of magistrates are 50 or over and the average age is 57. As well as taking magistrates out of step with other judicial offices, increasing the retirement age would reduce the number of available vacancies and thus reduce opportunities for younger people to become magistrates.
Yes1 person thinks so
No1 person thinks not
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