A NEW member of a committee responsible for appointing magistrates is being sought.

Dealing with more than 95 per cent of criminal cases in the UK, magistrates are volunteer members of the public appointed by the Cheshire Advisory Committee.

Chaired by Cheshire Lord Lieutenant David Briggs MBE and consisting of magistrates and lay members, the committee decides which applicants meet the standard to preside over magistrate court proceedings from the bench.

Bob Hodgson, the longest-serving lay member in Cheshire, stresses that he enjoys an equal voice in the decision-making process, saying ‘there is independent scrutiny to provide public confidence in the process’.

Tina Haslam, another lay member, explains that following a career in the Civil Service, she was attracted to the role ‘because of the committee’s importance within the criminal justice system’.

Since the key responsibility of the committee is to recommend candidates for appointment, recruitment and selection skills are qualities sought for membership.

All lay members of the Cheshire committee have substantial work place experience of these skills, but also received training to recruit for a role where there is no job description.

Newest recruit Kath Parker said that she was surprised to be ‘able to learn so much from this training’ after years of recruitment experience in the nursing field.

Beyond recruitment and selection, committees ensure that magistrates honour their commitment to meet sitting, training and competence requirements, as well the standards of behaviour expected from those holding public office.

While there are very few complaints against magistrates in Cheshire, the committee must be equipped to deal with such rare occasions in a professional manner.

The time commitment is four meetings per year and as many days as you can offer for interviews during a recruitment period.

The Cheshire committee is looking to appoint one new lay member. If you think it might interest you and you have the sort of skills required, please contact Pauline Johnson on 0151 471 1079 or email cm-jcsupport @hmcts.gsi.gov.uk for an application pack.

A limit of 12 applications will be accepted and interviews will be held at the QEII Courts in Liverpool in the New Year.