... (magistrates must be between 21 and 65 on appointment). A balance of occupations is also aimed at; advisory committees are recommended they should not have more than 15% of the bench coming from one category. Finally the Advisory Committee will interview candidates and then submit names of those they think are suitable to the Lord Chancellor who will then appoint new magistrates. After the selection process the training of magistrates will follow which would demonstrate if a person would be able to meet expectations of the role of a magistrate. In 1998 the lay magistrates New Training Initiative started. Under this scheme newly appointed magistrates have to achieve four basic competencies. These are; an applied understanding of the framework within which magistrates operate; an ability to follow basic law and procedure; an ability to think and act judicially; and an ability to work as an effective member of a team. These ...

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