Be a lay judge in the Summary Criminal Justice of the Peace Courts
Are you a person of integrity, honesty and understanding who wants to serve their community? Then why not volunteer to become a Justice of the Peace (JP)?
JPs are lay judges who sit in the summary criminal Justice of the Peace Courts in Scotland along with a legally qualified adviser who provides them with advice on law, practice and procedure. The lay judge decides on guilt or innocence following trials and the sentence to be imposed. JPs come from a wide range of backgrounds and occupations. A programme of induction training - both local and national and spread over a number of months - will be provided to successful applicants. The JP role offers successful candidates an excellent personal development opportunity.
JPs are voluntary, unpaid appointments, however, they do receive reasonable travel expenses. Most employers allow time off with pay or you can claim loss of earnings.
The minimum time commitment is twelve ‘sittings’ per year although this may vary in pattern and amount depending on the arrangements in the area and on how much court business is anticipated. A court sitting may be all day or as little as 30 minutes. You must also be able to complete a minimum of 12 hours training per year.
To apply, you need to be resident in or live within 15 miles of the Sheriffdom.
There are currently vacancies in the following Sheriffdoms:
Grampian, Highland and Islands;
Lothian and Borders;
North Strathclyde;
South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway and
Tayside Central and Fife.
Details of the individual courts that have vacancies can be found in the application pack.
Information and guidance notes and an application form can be requested at JP Recruitment Application Requests (JPRecruitmentapplicationrequests@gov.scot). Please specify the Sheriffdom you are applying for in the request.
Closing date for applications: Noon on Sunday 10 September 2023.
Scottish Ministers welcome applications from groups currently under-represented within the Scottish Judiciary, such as women, disabled people, ethnic minorities and people aged under 50.
Appointed on merit; committed to diversity and equality