Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to increase the recruitment of magistrates from (a) younger age groups and (b) ethnic minority communities.

The Ministry of Justice is committed to building a strong and sustainable magistracy that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. Marketing materials are specifically designed to attract younger and more ethnically diverse candidates, and the Department keeps the recruitment process under review to ensure it supports applications from diverse applicants. In 2024-25, ethnic minority individuals constituted 23% of all magistrate appointments; and 41% of magistrate appointments were aged under 50.