What do magistrates do?

In this episode, Alma- Constance and Lucinda hear more about the important work of magistrates as about 95 % of cases are heard before ordinary people in Magistrates' Courts and these magistrates make up 85% of the judiciary in England and Wales, who sit in criminal family and youth courts.  They speak to Katherine Sirrell, who is a magistrate and deputy chair of the Young Magistrates Network, which is a part of the Magistrates Association. ·       She tells us about the difference between magistrates and judges and why we have magistrates·       The type of cases they hear·       Why it’s important to have magistrates who are representative of their community·       What happens if children need to appear in Magistrates' CourtsWhen Katherine was 10 years old, she was very curious about the world and really liked stories and wanted to be a journalist, as she loved writing and liked the idea of finding out the truth.Alma-Constance and Lucinda would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, ideas about a topic or someone you'd like us to interview, please contact us through the website, www.kidslaw.info or through social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @KidsLawInfo You can also email us: [email protected] subscribe, rate, and share with your friends!ResourcesMagistrates Association: Magistrates Association > What We Do > MA Diversity and Inclusion Networks > Young Magistrates Network (magistrates-association.org.uk)Young Citizens (mock trials): Home - Young CitizensSchools consent project: Schools Consent Project | HomeJustice: Justice: advancing access to human rights and the rule of law Report into the voices of young people in the youth court: Young people’s voices on youth court | Centre for Justice InnovationKeep your questions coming in. Please subscribe, rate, and share the podcast with your friends. See you soon in the next episode!You can follow us @kidslawinfo on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Om Podcasten

This is a podcast about children and the laws that affect them as they grow up. Alma-Constance, our host, decided to start the podcast in 2021when she was 10 years old. Living in England, UK, she discovered that when she turned 10 she would have reached the age of criminal responsibility. This is one of the youngest ages of criminalising children in the developed world. That was a pretty shocking discovery for her especially as she realised that she and her peers knew nothing about what this meant in practice and how it can affected children and their families. With the help of Lucinda Acland, a lawyer, and supported by Next 100 Years, they set out to ask some questions of leading experts to help children make sense of it all. There are a lot of laws that affect #children as they grow up and they are confusing and complicated and can affect all aspects of their day-to-day life from #education to online protections or at home, if families break up. It is difficult to keep track and understand the laws and how they impact a child's life. Alma-Constance is determined to help #TeachKidsLaw at a much younger age to help them grow up into adults confident with their legal knowledge. Understanding how the law works and being able to understand complex concepts of #justice and #ruleoflaw will help anyone as they try to navigate their lives. You can email us: [email protected] or reach us on social media channels and our www.kidslaw.info website.