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Your Council working in partnership to make our city safer
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You be the judge
An appeal for more people to become magistrates, plus how Hull is leading the way in community justice
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"By doing this voluntary role we're helping to make our community safer," – Caroline Heaton JP. |
Caroline Heaton has seen a huge variety of cases in her 14 years as a magistrate.
Her typical day, sitting on a bench with two others at Hull Magistrates' Court, involves making some tough decisions.
Should a man who has committed an assault be fined, or ordered to carry out unpaid work in the community?
Should a drug addict convicted of burglary be sent to prison, or given a suspended sentence with help to address their drug problem?
Should a vulnerable child who may be at risk be made the subject of a care order and taken away from their parents?
"You're making important decisions about people's lives," says Caroline (47), a former nurse and mother of four.
"And it's vital that you have a certain amount of life experience, and can use common sense based on the facts you're given in court."
Could you be a magistrate?
There are 155 magistrates at Hull and Holderness Magistrates' Courts, but more are needed.
"We need people with experience from all walks of life, but in particular we would like to hear from women and young people, in order to be more representative of our community as a whole," says Caroline.
"People think we're this hidden clan, out of touch and operating behind closed-doors – but we're an ordinary bunch of people, living ordinary lives.
"By doing this voluntary role we're helping to make our community safer, and helping to ensure that offenders make reparation to their victims and the community at large."
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Magistrates sometimes retire to a room adjacent to the courtroom to consider sentencing |
Know the facts
- to be a magistrate you need to be at least 18, of good character and reliable, with good communication skills, social awareness, maturity and sound judgement
- you don't need legal qualifications or experience
- magistrates must undertake a minimum of 26 half-day sittings and a small number of training sessions per year
- they can claim expenses for travel, meals, loss of earnings and childcare (in some cases)
- magistrates in Hull come from all walks of life
Simple and speedy
Caroline has seen some changes over the years, most notably in 2001, when the courts moved from the Guildhall into the brand-new building on Market Place.
Another major change is the speed with which criminal cases are now handled in the new CJSSS (Criminal Justice Simple, Speedy Summary) courts, which were introduced a year ago.
More than 70 per cent of offenders who appear before these courts will be sentenced at the first hearing, and many within two weeks of an offence being committed (if they plead guilty).
That's because different agencies pull together to make sure all the information is in place to deal with a case at the first hearing – whether that's CCTV evidence, forensic evidence or a decision on legal aid.
"In the past, even straightforward cases often had to be adjourned several times and that was quite frustrating because you didn't feel you were making progress," says Caroline.
"But the new system gives reassurance to victims and witnesses, because cases are being resolved quickly."
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Hull leads the way
A community justice initiative which puts Hull magistrates more closely in touch with the community in Hull's Riverside area has been praised as a model for other parts of the country.
Under the initiative, magistrates meet four times a year with residents and other agencies in a special 'community justice forum.'
Set up in partnership with Hull City Council's Riverside Area Team, the forum is a way for residents to let magistrates know how their lives are affected by crimes, and to suggest ways in which offenders could carry out unpaid work to put something back into the area.
The forum is closely linked to the Riverside Community Justice Court, in which the same magistrates – as a result of their added insight – are able to talk to offenders about the problems they are causing, as well as passing sentences.
"They often establish a rapport with offenders and are able to uncover problems which may have contributed to their offending," says deputy justices' clerk, Karen Clark.
"The idea is that if an offender's problems are sorted out, they'll stop offending, and that'll bring relief to the community and save valuable resources."
The Riverside Community Justice Court is one of 12 similar courts being piloted across the country, but its unique feature is that it employs an 'in-court co-ordinator,' whose role is to work with offenders and put them in touch with support for problems that come to light during a hearing, such as drink, drugs, unemployment and homelessness.
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