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This document is produced and maintained by:

Magistrates HR

Judicial Office

10th Floor, ThomasMoreBuilding

Royal Courts of Justice

Strand

London

WC2A 2LL

  1. PRE-APPLICATION CHECKLIST

Please read the booklet ‘Becoming a Magistrate in England and Wales – Guidance for Prospective Applicants’ in full before starting your application.

You must complete the following checklist before submitting your application. If you do not complete the checklist, your application is liable to be rejected.

I have read the Guidance for Prospective Applicants in full.
I have checked to ensure that recruitment is taking place in my local area.
Refer to page 5 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.
I understand that applicants are expected to be living or working in, or reasonably close to, the area in which they wish to serve.
Refer to page 5 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.
I understand that, if called for interview, I will be required to demonstrate that I have a good knowledge and understanding of social issues in the local area.
Refer to pages 5 and 14 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.
I understand that magistrates are required to sit for at least 13 full days per year (or 26 half days). I also understand that I will be required to attend training and occasional meetings after court. I confirm that I am able to meet this commitment.
Refer to page 8 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.
I am in employment and have obtained my employer’s agreement to take the necessary time off work if I am appointed.
Refer to page 9 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants. (Leave blank if not in employment and see below)
I am not in employment.
I have researched publicly available material about the family court.
Refer to page 9 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.
The people I intend to nominate as referees have agreed to provide a reference and I understand that if references are not provided by the required date my application could be rejected.
Refer to page 13 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.
  1. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION

Applicants are expected to be living or working in, or reasonably close to, the area in which they wish to serve.

Refer to page 5 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.

Please state the name of the advisory committee whose recruitment exercise you are applying for:

Advisory Committee

If you have a preference to sit at a particular family court (or courts) within the local area, indicate them below. Please note that we cannot guarantee to meet your preference(s):

Preferred court(s)

How did you become aware of the vacancies for which you are applying?

Only answer the next question if you are applying for vacancies in Wales.

Refer to page 12 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.

If the area to which you are applying has vacancies for bilingual magistrates, please indicate below if you would like to be considered for those vacancies:

Yes / No

Refer to page 9 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.

We need to know if you have previously applied to become a magistrate, including any separate applications to sit in thecriminal Courts.

Refer to page 10 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.

Have you previously applied to become a magistrate?

Yes / No

Have you made an application to sit in the criminal court?

Yes / No

If you answered yes, please give details of when you made your application, to which advisory committee, and the outcome (if known) of your application.

The Magistrates’ Association represents approximately 80% of magistrates in England and Wales. Information about the Magistrates’ Association is available at:

If you are appointed, may we pass your details (name, address, date of birth and local justice area) to the Magistrates’ Association,so that they can contact you about the Association?

Yes / No

Your details will not be disclosed without your permission and will not be passed to any other organisation.

  1. PERSONAL INFORMATION

Title / Mr / Miss / Ms / Mrs / Dr
Other (please state)
Surname
Forename(s)
Previous surname (if any)
Date of birth / D M Year
Home address (including post code)
Telephone / Home
Work
Mobile
Contact email
Nationality
Country of birth
How many years have you lived in the local area?
  1. DIVERSITY MONITORING INFORMATION

Please refer to Appendix A.

  1. QUALIFICATIONS

No formal qualifications are required to become a magistrate. This information is requested to give some background about applicants. It will not be taken into account in assessing suitability for appointment.

Provide a brief summary of your educational and any other significant qualifications (e.g. professional qualifications):

  1. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Certain occupations (including past occupations) may affect your eligibility to serve as a magistrate.

Refer to page 8 and Appendix D of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.

Please provide full information about your employment status and history:

Employment status / Employed / Self-employed / Retired / Not in paid employment
Other (please state)
Current occupation(if applicable)
Name and address of current employer
Brief description of work
Time with employer
Is the role? / Full Time / Part Time
Hours per week / Fixed Term (end date)
D M Year

Please confirm that you have discussed your intention to apply to become a magistrate with your employerand have their agreement to take the necessary time off work if you are appointed.

Please give details of any other occupations in which you have been employed in the last ten years, starting with the most recent:

Occupation / Employer / From / To

In limited cases, the occupation of a spouse, partner or close relative may affect your eligibility.

Refer to page 8 and Appendix D of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.

Is your spouse/partner in any form of employment?

Yes (Please state their occupation)
No / Not applicable

Has your spouse, partner or a close relative worked as any of the following - Police Officer, Special Constable, Police Community Support Officer, civilian employee of a police force, Traffic Warden, Crown Prosecution Service or Prison Service employee, Children’s Guardian, NSPCC employee, social worker, or in any other occupation whose work involves attending court?

Yes (see below) / No / Not applicable

If you answered yes above, please describe the person’s(or persons’) relationship to you, their occupation, where it is (or was) carried out, and their approximate dates of employment:

  1. REFERENCES

All applicants must provide the names of three people who have agreed to act as referees. Please complete Appendix B.

Refer to page 13 of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.

  1. REASONS FOR APPLYING TO BECOME A MAGISTRATE AND PERSONAL QUALITIES

Please explain what motivated you to apply to become a magistrate:

The six key qualities required of all magistrates are: Good Character; Understanding and Communication; Social Awareness; Maturity and Sound Temperament; Sound Judgement; Commitment and Reliability.

Refer to Appendix C of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants.

Please explain how you believe you meet the six key qualities. If possible, give examples of how you have demonstrated these qualities through your work and/or in other areas of your life:

Please provide a brief description of any voluntary work you are currently doing or have done in the past:

Please provide a brief description of any hobbies / recreational activities in your spare time:

  1. CONVICTIONS, CAUTIONS AND CIVIL ORDERS

Please readAppendix D of the Guidance for Prospective Applicants carefully before completing this section.

Are you involved in any of the proceedings referred to atAppendix D, Section 1 - ‘Involvement in Current Proceedings’?

Yes / No

If you answered yes, please provide details below:

Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence? (Do not include fixed penalty notices for motoring offences.)

Yes / No

If you answered yes, please provide details below. You must disclose all previous convictions irrespective of when they were received.

Offence / Date of Conviction / Name of Court / Sentence or Penalty

Have you ever received aPolice Caution?

Yes / No

If you answered yes, please provide details below. You must disclose all cautions irrespective of when they were received.

Offence / Date of Caution / Conditions Attached to the Caution (if applicable)

Have you received any Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN), including for a driving offence, within the last 4 years?

Yes / No

If you answered yes, please provide details below:

Offence / Date of FPN / Amount of Fine

Have you regained your driving licence within the last 4 years following disqualification from driving?

Yes / No

If you answered yes, please provide details below:

Offence / Date of Disqualification / Date on which licence regained

Do you currently have penalty points endorsed on your driving licence (this includes points endorsed as a result of receiving a Fixed Penalty Notice)?

Yes / No

If you answered yes, please provide details below:

Offence / Date of Endorsement / Number of Penalty Points

Have you received a Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) within the last 4 years?

Yes / No

If you answered yes, please provide details below:

Offence / Date of PND / Amount of Fine

Are you subject to any of the civil orders (or an Individual Voluntary Arrangement) which qualify for disclosure under Appendix D, Section 7- ‘Bankruptcy, Individual Voluntary Arrangements and County Court Judgements’?

Yes / No

If you answered yes, please provide details below:

To the best of your knowledge, has a spouse, partner, close relative or close friend received convictions or cautions which would disqualify for disclosure under Appendix D, Section 8 - ‘Spouses, Partners, Close Relatives and Close Friends’?

Yes / No

If you answered yes, please provide details below:

Excluding any information already provided above, is there anything else in your private or working life, past or present, which could damage your credibility as a magistrate if it became known to the public?

Yes / No

If you answered yes, please provide details below:

  1. DECLARATION

The information that I have given in this applicationis true and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. I understand that my application is liable to be rejected if I knowingly fail to disclose relevant information.

(Please sign electronically or by hand).

Signed: / Date: