Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the press release entitled Thousands step forward in record magistrate recruitment drive, published on 23 October 2026, what assessment has been made of whether the target of a 21,000-strong magistracy in 2028/29 will provide sufficient capacity to meet projected demand in magistrates’ courts.

The Government has assessed the number of magistrates needed against projected demand in the magistrates’ courts. Our ambition for a 21,000-strong magistracy in 2028/29 is informed by modelling of forecast workloads and the capacity required to meet them.

The modelling takes account of expected case volumes, sitting day requirements, magistrates’ sitting patterns, panel sizes, attrition, the contribution of District Judges and the impacts of the Courts and Tribunals Bill. We will continue to monitor demand and capacity and update our modelling as necessary.