Strengthened Role Project Update

Update No.1: April 2004

Issued by the JSB Strengthened Role Project (SR) Project Team.
Contact details at the end of this document.

Background: what is the Strengthened Role Project?

As you may be aware, the Judicial Studies Board has recently launched its Strengthened Role Project.

The project arises from the recommendations made in Lord Justice Auld's report¹, following his review of the Criminal Justice System, the Government’s White paper² in 2002 and the recent Royal Assent of the Courts Act 2003. Under the Courts Act: 2003 Magistrates' Courts Committees are to be abolished and the responsibility for the training of magistrates will revert to the Lord Chancellor and on his behalf the JSB will have a ‘stronger role’ in magistrates’ training. These recommendations combine to provide an opportunity for the JSB through its stronger role to achieve greater national consistency in magistrates' training.

The objective of the project is to look at what the JSB's strengthened role should entail and map out the structure for magistrates' training in the context of the new strengthened role and the unified administration.

One of the main objectives of the proposals is to maintain continuity of magistrates’ training during the transition to the unified administration and ensure that the transition is a smooth one. It is therefore envisaged that proposals will be rolled out incrementally beginning in April 2005 to coincide with the new administration.

Defining the Strengthened Role

To date, the SR Project Team have developed a project plan, which has been approved by the Strengthened Role Project Board, the JSB Executive and the JSB Magisterial Committee following its consideration by the DCA UA Programme Board and Unified Administration Judicial Committee (UAJC). For an overview of the organisation of this project and a list of membership of the SR Project Board please see Annex A. We are now working with a working group (membership also listed in Annex A) and range of writers to develop a consultation document that will propose a structure for the JSB's strengthened role and clearly define how the training of lay magistrates should be organised in the context of the new role and the unified administration.

A separate paper will be developed to confirm the arrangements for the training of DJ(MC)s and their deputies.

The Consultation

The timetable for consultation on the proposals for the organisation and delivery of training for lay magistrates will be:

Distribution of consultation document on the training of lay magistrates	Late June 2004
Consultation period	July – September
Communication of final proposals	January 2005
Implementation to commence	April 2005

A consultation strategy for the arrangements for training DJ(MC)s and their deputies will be confirmed by the JSB in consultation with the Senior District Judge and Chief Magistrate, Tim Workman.

The consultation will utilise two complementary approaches:

1. Paper-based

A consultation paper detailing the proposals is currently being developed and will be circulated to interested organisations including:

One response will be accepted per organisation.
Prior to distribution of the document, we will have asked the JSB Family, Criminal and ETAC Committees, as appropriate, to comment on any proposals related to their areas of responsibility.

2. Consultation Workshops

In addition, the paper based consultation will be supplemented by consultation workshops organised and facilitated by external consultants.

Report and feedback

In October, a final report, including feedback from both consultation processes will be presented to the SR Project Board and circulated to other JSB Committees, including the Family, Criminal and Equal Treatment Advisory Committees, for their comments prior to finalising proposals for agreement by the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice.

Following approval, the SR Project Team will develop a JSB implementation plan, which will also be circulated to the JSB Magisterial, Equal Treatment Advisory, Criminal and Family Committees and others as appropriate.

Consultation outcomes will be communicated to the service and others in December 2004.

Implementation of the proposals will begin in April 2005.

¹ Lord Justice Auld, Review of the Criminal Courts of England and Wales, October 2001
² Justice for All, July 2002, The Stationery Office

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Contact us

Please contact us if you have any questions or comments. You can reach the SR Project Team at:
Contact Us
Telephone: 020 7217 4783
Fax: 020 7217 4779

Address: SR Team
Judicial Studies Board
9th Floor
Millbank Tower
21 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QU