ASIANS and other members from Britain’s ethnic communities are being urged to apply to become magistrates as a recruitment drive gets underway to deliver more diversity, according to a media report.
A new £1 million initiative seeks to find more than 4,000 new justices of the peace to help tackle the vast backlog in criminal cases, The Telegraph reported last month.
Officials want a wider range of applicants as critics claim magistrates are not representative of wider society, the report added.
Statistics show that one per cent of magistrates is aged below 30, while 49 per cent are older than 60.
Anyone who can dedicate a minimum of 13 days service a year and can display reason and sound judgment are eligible to apply.
Recently, the Ministry of Justice revealed plans to double a magistrate’s sentencing powers, from six months to up to 12 months.
“Magistrates are the unsung heroes of the justice system and we want people from every part of society represented in their ranks,” justice secretary Dominic Raab was quoted as saying by the paper.
“If you care about your community and want to give back, then I would strongly encourage you to apply to become a magistrate. There are few other opportunities that can make such a difference in people’s lives.
“Alongside our plans to double their sentencing powers from six months to a year, this recruitment drive will ensure magistrates can play an even greater role in restoring the swift justice the public deserve.”
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.