Telford MP calls for Long Service Medal for magistrates
In a question in Parliament, Telford MP Shaun Davies requested the Government lead a debate to appreciate the “critical” role magistrates play in the justice system.
He highlighted the historic significance of magistrates, and asked that they be shown the same respect as other public servants – including the introduction of a Long Service Medal for magistrates, as is available for other public servants.
Shaun Davies has regularly called for the use of magistrates to help reduce ongoing court backlogs, with victims being forced to wait 42 days on average for their case to be heard at Shrewsbury Crown Court while almost 50% of sessions at Telford Magistrates Court went unused as recently as 2022. The nationwide court backlog reached a record high of 73,000 in 2024. Davies has spoken in Parliament about the need to hire more magistrates and give them more powers, in recognition of the role they serve in delivering faster justice.
In her response to Davies’ question in Parliament, Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell MP agreed that magistrates are the “backbone” of the UK’s justice system, and encouraged Davies to continue to campaign on this issue.
The Government has already introduced a number of reforms aimed at strengthening the role of magistrates in the justice system. As well as adding 4,000 extra Crown Court sitting days nationally for 2025, the Ministry of Justice has doubled the maximum custodial sentence magistrates can issue to 12 months, saving up to 2000 Crown Court sitting days. The Government has also commissioned a review of proposals to reclassify offences and further increase sentencing powers for magistrates, in order to get more cases seen locally and faster.
Locally, the Government has confirmed the reopening of Telford’s remand court, and Courts Minister Sarah Sackman MP has written to Shaun Davies to inform him that the Nightingale court at Telford Annex will be extended until 31st March 2026.
Welcoming the Government’s commitments to celebrating and empowering magistrates, Shaun Davies commented: “We all want to see a faster, fairer, firmer justice system, one that delivers for victims and the public. More resources for our courts are great, but we also need reforms – we need to see cases processed faster, making use of the facilities we have available.
"Magistrates provide a vital service that’s been underused thanks to a broken system – I’m thrilled that this Government is introducing the reforms needed to let them carry out their essential work. I’ll keep banging the drum for magistrates to get the recognition – and powers – they deserve, including a Long Service Medal for those who have given decades to our justice system.”
