Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the minimum service expectation for newly appointed magistrates on trends in the level of applications from people aged over 70.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of the minimum service expectation on applications from people aged over 70. The expectation that newly appointed magistrates are able to serve for at least five years reflects the significant investment in recruitment, training and mentoring, and supports effective workforce planning. Candidates are encouraged to apply before their 70th birthday so that they can serve until the mandatory retirement age of 75, which was increased from 70 in 2022.