Young magistrates: People are shocked by my piercings and tattoos

Magistrates like Megan are a rare sight in the courts.

Shes 22 years old, making her one of 176 people under 30 registered for the volunteer roles in England and Wales.

Thats 1.2% of the total number of magistrates - 14,576 - compared with 1.1% in 2020.

Current and former governments have agreed on the need for more diverse volunteers to avoid perceived discrimination or ageism.

Despite repeated calls for younger volunteers, the justice system is struggling to sign them up, and the government says it wants to improve recruitment campaigns.

Mum-of-two Megan - who wants to become a barrister - juggles childcare and her law studies with overseeing cases at Southampton Magistrates Court.

Magistrates usually work in groups of three and oversee less serious crimes such as shoplifting, speeding or anti-social behaviour.

These offences make up about 90% of all cases, with punishments that include fines or prison sentences.

Theyve recently been given the power to hand out longer jail terms - up to 12 months - to help cut down a backlog of court cases.

"Its part of the job", Megan says.

"It can be a bit of a shock. It is someones life. But they did that crime, we have the sentencing guidelines and thats what were going by".

Megan jokes that you dont often get people with piercings and tattoos handing out court judgements.

But she thinks thats usually a good thing.

"It takes out that initial judgment and it makes defendants feel more comfortable," she says.

"Theyre looking at someone they see whos similar to them, and they think whats going to happen… its going to be fair."

The Ministry of Justice has repeatedly said it wants more people under 30 to volunteer.

Critics argue that its hard for young people to give up the time, especially if theyre on a low income, even though expenses such as travel are usually paid for.

Megan thinks its "a positive" that theres no money involved.

"It brings the right people in and the people you want," she says. "Theyre doing it for their community and for the justice system."

She thinks the bigger barrier is misconceptions about what the job involves and who can sign up.

"Most people look at a magistrate and think they have a law degree or a law background, but thats not the case at all," she says.

"You dont need any qualifications for it and you can come from any background and any career".

Would-be magistrates do need to attend a short training course, swear an oath, and commit to working at least 13 days each year.

Those recently found guilty of a crime are unlikely to be allowed to volunteer.

If a lack of understanding is the problem, its one officials have so far failed to solve.

In January 2022, the last Conservative government announced what it said was the biggest recruitment call in 650 years for new magistrates. It aimed to recruit 4,000 new ones, with a £1m campaign to - in part - target younger people.

Despite this spending, there was no major breakthrough after 2022.

Now, the Labour-run Ministry of Justice is making the same plea.

A spokesperson from the department tells BBC Newsbeat that "the government wants to ensure that the magistracy reflects the diversity of the communities it serves, including age, background and experience".

"We continue to evaluate and improve our recruitment campaigns to ensure we recruit a diverse group of magistrates," they add.

Megans message to others her age is simple.

"If you want to help your community, especially if you have an interest in the legal system, I would just say: Apply."

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