Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of magistrates who will be eligible to sit as presiding justices in (1) family, (2) youth, and (3) adult criminal jurisdictions in each of the next five years.

No estimate has been made of the number of magistrates who will be eligible to sit as presiding justices in each of the next five years. The Justices of the Peace Rules 2016 provide that local Training Approval Authorisation and Appraisal Committees (TAAACs) shall be responsible for the authorisation of presiding justices. The TAAACs, which must act in accordance with the 2016 Rules and with good practice guidance issued on behalf of the Lord Chief Justice, may also stipulate further requirements that applicants must fulfil before they can be considered for selection, or may relax the requirements if there is a need to so. These eligibility decisions are therefore made locally by the TAAACs based upon need.