BBC Newsbeat<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Magistrates like Megan are a rare sight in the courts. <\/p>\n She’s 22 years old, making her one of 176 people under 30 registered for the volunteer roles in England and Wales.<\/p>\n That’s 1.2% of the total number of magistrates – 14,576 – compared with 1.1% in 2020.<\/p>\n Current and former governments have agreed on the need for more diverse volunteers to avoid perceived discrimination or ageism. <\/p>\n Despite repeated calls for younger volunteers, the justice system is struggling to sign them up, and the government says it wants to improve recruitment campaigns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mum-of-two Megan – who wants to become a barrister – juggles childcare and her law studies with overseeing cases at Southampton Magistrates’ Court.<\/p>\n Magistrates usually work in groups of three and oversee less serious crimes such as shoplifting, speeding or anti-social behaviour. <\/p>\n These offences make up about 90% of all cases, with punishments that include fines or prison sentences.<\/p>\n They’ve recently been given the power to hand out longer jail terms<\/a> – up to 12 months – to help cut down a backlog of court cases. <\/p>\n “It’s part of the job”, Megan says. <\/p>\n “It can be a bit of a shock. It is someone’s life. But they did that crime, we have the sentencing guidelines and that’s what we’re going by”.<\/p>\n Megan jokes that you don’t often get people with piercings and tattoos handing out court judgements.<\/p>\n But she thinks that’s usually a good thing.<\/p>\n “It takes out that initial judgment and it makes defendants feel more comfortable,” she says.<\/p>\n “They’re looking at someone they see who’s similar to them, and they think what’s going to happen\u2026 it’s going to be fair.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Ministry of Justice has repeatedly said it wants more people under 30 to volunteer. <\/p>\n Critics argue that it’s hard for young people to give up the time, especially if they’re on a low income, even though expenses such as travel are usually paid for.<\/p>\n Megan thinks it’s “a positive” that there’s no money involved.<\/p>\n “It brings the right people in and the people you want,” she says. “They’re doing it for their community and for the justice system.”<\/p>\n She thinks the bigger barrier is misconceptions about what the job involves and who can sign up.<\/p>\n “Most people look at a magistrate and think they have a law degree or a law background, but that’s not the case at all,” she says.<\/p>\n “You don’t need any qualifications for it and you can come from any background and any career”.<\/p>\n Would-be magistrates do need to attend a short training course, swear an oath, and commit to working at least 13 days each year.<\/p>\n Those recently found guilty of a crime are unlikely to be allowed to volunteer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If a lack of understanding is the problem, it’s one officials have so far failed to solve.<\/p>\n![\"BBC](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/2806\/live\/59a66c10-04a1-11f0-b105-736ce33fe23a.jpg.webp\")
BBC News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘I wanted to help my community’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\")
![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/aec4\/live\/b82add90-04a4-11f0-b105-736ce33fe23a.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/a0ca\/live\/a1b20080-00c5-11f0-8c3d-b7dcc7510cb1.jpg.webp\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n