Guidance on the use of the Framework of Standards for Magistrate MATC Members

As you are part of the MATC, you will be fully aware of your responsibilities in producing an annual training plan for magistrates in your Area.  The focus for your MATC, which oversees the training and the people responsible for its delivery, is to consider the training and development process in its entirety.  Supporting the monitoring and evaluation of the training is an important part of your role in this process and the purpose of this guidance note is to give you some help with this aspect.

Following extensive consultation with all Areas, in March 2006, the JSB published minimum standards for the training and development of magistrates.  Although the standards are for use by “all those who identify, commission, design, deliver and evaluate magistrate training”, they are aimed primarily at training ‘professionals’ e.g. training developers, training managers, training deliverers, justices’ clerks etc.  MATC magistrate members may not directly monitor or evaluate in the same way as training ‘professionals’.  However, you will be able to use the standards as ‘guidelines’ to help you in assessing the training provided in your Area.  Annex 1 provides more details on the framework of standards for magistrate training and development.