disadvantages

• What are the disadvantages of magistrates?

  • Lack of diversity
  • Inconsistencies
  • Low acquittal rate
  • Reliance on court clerk
• How is lack of diversity a disadvantage of magistrates?

  Magistrates tend to be "middle-class, middle-aged, and middle-minded" and so doesn't reflect a true cross-section of society: 80% of magistrates are over 50 and 40% are retired.
• How is inconsistencies a disadvantage of magistrates?

  There are inconsistencies in sentencing and decisions on bail: defendants committing the same crime are treated differently in different parts of the country.
• How are low acquittal rates a disadvantage of magistrates?

  Magistrates tend to be prosecution biased: 20% of defendants are found not guilty compared to 62% in the Crown Court.
• How is the fact that magistrates rely on court clerks a disadvantage?

  Sometimes magistrates' decisions are influenced by the clerk. The clerk isn't allowed to help decide the sentence so this doesn't prevent inconsistencies.