Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the total caseload in the magistrates’ courts was presided over by (1) district judges, and (2) lay magistrates, in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

It is not possible to classify cases in this way because one case may have several hearings, and might on one occasion be heard by a bench of magistrates and on another occasion by a District Judge.

Magistrates and District Judges bring different but equally valuable skills to our justice system and the magistrates’ courts. We continue to work with magistrates to ensure they have as full a role as possible.