Educating and Engaging Communities in South & West Devon
Making Good Decisions
Magistrates in the Community is the MA’s community engagement initiative. Every year, teams of volunteer magistrates across England and Wales deliver a huge variety of presentations to incredibly diverse audiences.
We visit schools, colleges and community groups, aiming to demystify the legal system and educate the wider community about the work of their local court.
Presentations are tailored to each group and can range from informal talks to interactive quizzes, mock trials and sentencing exercises. We give presentations covering topics including:
• who magistrates are
• what kind of cases magistrates’ courts deal with
• how guilt or innocence is decided
• how a sentence is reached
• consequences of criminal activities
• topical issues such as cybercrime, bullying and knife crime.
If you would like further information, please email us on the "Contact us page"
The national MA web site is https://www.magistrates-association.org.uk/
Our Outreach Service to You
Discover more about our extensive range of presentation services and who we talk to. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, please feel free to get in touch with us – we will be more than happy to help.
Primary Schools
Year 6 in Primary School is an ideal time to start learning about the law and how it works. We are regularly asked back to schools year on year so that all pupils can benefit as they move through Year 6.
We have a number of activities targeted at Year 6 and Key Stage 2. They are designed to impart information while keeping the children interested and involved.
These include quizzes, interactive presentations and in classroom mock trials. They are designed to provide information about the magistracy and criminal justice system, or if required specific issues such as cyber bullying and knife crime, as well as the consequences of having a criminal record.
Secondary Schools
Key Stages 3 and 4, students between 11 and 16 years old.
We recognise the constraints of the secondary school timetable and ensure that our presentations make efficient use of the time we are given.
We have a variety of presentations to suit the school’s curriculum or current issues. These include an introduction to the magistracy, cyberbullying, knife crime and possession of a bladed article and others.
We are sometimes required to present to multiple classes in a day or return several times to make sure every class in a year group receives the presentation. We also visit schools as part of a multi-agency session to the whole year group, throughout the day.
Colleges
As young people take on more responsibility and independence, with moving onto University or getting jobs, it is important for them to know how their actions may be dealt with through the courts.
They should be aware that the consequences of the decisions that they make can have a profound influence on their future livelihoods and careers.
The presentations that we have are targeted at such young people to help make them aware of the likely consequences and hopefully enable them to make the appropriate decisions when required.
Universities
We have been asked to visit a local university to give presentations and simulation experiences to first and second year undergraduates studying social work and criminology.
We run mock court scenarios for the social work undergraduates to gain an insight into what it’s like to present a case and be questioned within court.
For the criminology undergraduates we take them through a sentencing exercise. This illustrates what is considered, and the structure used, when determining a sentence following a guilty plea. A practical insight into the day to day running of the courts is as useful as the law they learn in lectures.
Community Groups
These include, but are not limited to, U3A, WI, Probus, Rotary and many more.
Our main priority is to explain to young people what magistrates do and help them make better choices within the law. However, we also want to inform the wider community about the magistracy, what magistrates do and how they fit within the criminal justice system.
Due to this we welcome requests to visit all community groups at their meetings, either during the day or in the evenings. We are frequently asked how to apply to become a magistrate at the end of these discussions.
We provide a general discussion with Q and A. We will not talk about specific cases. There is no cost.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding & Discipline:
Although as magistrates we are DBS checked on appointment to the bench, our certificates are not routinely updated. We therefore require a teacher or member of staff to be with us at all times for safeguarding and managing discipline in the classroom. We should be considered as 'Visitors', with the appropriate lanyard and safeguarding protocol followed by the school.