Ministry of Justice reports more than 3,800 magistrates recruited and starts courtroom audio recording pilot
MoJ reports more than 3,800 new magistrates recruited, a £4 million recruitment campaign and an audio recording pilot in seven courtrooms.
The Ministry of Justice has announced that more than 3,800 new magistrates have been recruited under the current Government, with the stated aim of getting more cases heard. The press release was published on 23 October 2026 by the Ministry of Justice, HM Courts & Tribunals Service and Sarah Sackman KC MP, the Minister for Courts and Legal Services.
Alongside the recruitment figures, the Government has launched a £4 million recruitment campaign across national television and social media. The campaign encourages the public to come forward and serve their communities, as part of a bid to deliver a magistracy of 21,000 in 2028/29.
The release also announces a pilot of audio recording technology in magistrates' courts. The department presents both measures as part of its plan to deliver a stronger justice system for victims. For firms that appear in the magistrates' courts, the announcement covers the recruitment of magistrates, how proceedings are recorded and how appeals are to be handled.
Recruitment figures
The Ministry of Justice gives the following figures for recent recruitment:
- almost 1,500 local justice champions were appointed in the first six months of 2026
- this is almost double the number recruited in the same period the previous year
- women accounted for 55% of new appointments
- more than a third of new recruits are under 50
The department says the additional resource in the magistrates' courts will boost capacity and get more cases heard.
The Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman KC MP, said a record number of people had "answered the call to serve their communities as magistrates". She said their commitment would help "keep cases moving" and "ease pressure on our courts".
Audio recording pilot
The Government is testing new technology for audio recordings in the courtroom. The pilot is running across seven courtrooms nationwide, where the courts will test how effective the technology is.
According to the release, the aim is to create a reliable record of proceedings in the magistrates' courts. The department links this to modernising the appeals process and freeing up valuable court time.
Appeals and the Courts and Tribunals Bill
The Ministry of Justice describes the pilot as part of a wider drive to modernise the court system. That includes overhauling the appeals process by replacing the automatic right of appeal with a permission stage, so that courts decide whether a case should proceed.
The release says this work forms part of the Government's response to the review of the Criminal Courts. That review set out a blueprint for modernising the criminal courts and tackling the inherited Crown Court backlog.
On legislation, the release states:
- the Courts and Tribunals Bill was backed by "overwhelming support" in the House of Commons
- the Bill entered the House of Lords on 14 October
- the Government amended the Bill to remove proposals to limit jury trials
As a result of that amendment, the department says almost all Crown Court cases will continue to be heard by a jury.
Where to read more
The full announcement, including the Minister's statement in full, is on the Ministry of Justice's own website.