Below are some details put together by Sikh Council UK as a guide on processes/ requirements of some of the roles that can be taken up in building civic influence. Getting involved locally in impacting the national picture.
1. Magistrates/JP’s
More commonly known as magistrates, Justices of the Peace in England work purely on a volunteer basis. The majority of cases in Wales and England are dealt with by magistrates, who hear cases in local courts involving minor criminal acts that can result in up to one year in prison or fines up to £5,000.
While there are no specific formal qualifications to become a justice of the peace in England
(they are assisted in court by a legal adviser), applicants must be between 18 and under 65
years of age (Magistrates must retire at 70 and are normally expected to serve for at least 5
years) and possess certain personality traits. Candidates must satisfy the Lord Chancellor that
they meet six criteria:
-Good character; (not found guilty of a serious crime, not found guilty of a number of minor
offences not banned from driving in the past 5 to 10 years, not declared bankrupt)
-Understanding and communication;
-Social awareness;
-Maturity and sound temperament;
-Sound judgement;
-Commitment and reliability.
Because of the need to maintain public confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary, people
who work in certain occupations (for example, police officers) cannot become magistrates.
Time off for magistrate duties
Magistrates need to be in court for at least 13 days, or 26 half-days, a year.
Employers are required by law to grant reasonable time off work for magistrates.
Magistrates are not paid for their services. However, many employers allow time off with pay
for magistrates.
If they do suffer loss of earnings they may claim a loss allowance at a set rate. They can also
claim allowances for travel and subsistence.
Process
Magistrates are recruited by local Advisory Committees in each region.
Recruitment takes place at different times from area to area, so it is important to check when
it is happening in your area ( local Advisory Committee)
Preparation and training
Before deciding whether or not to apply, candidates need to visit a magistrates’ court to
observe the magistrates sitting.
They will need to visit at least once (but preferably two or three times) when it is sitting in
general session, in the 12 months before they apply.
Once they have been selected, all magistrates take the judicial oath – the same oath as that
taken by judges.
They are trained before starting to hear cases and throughout their careers as magistrates, and
are appraised regularly.
2. School Governors
Almost anyone over 18 years of age can become a governor. There are no particular
qualifications or requirements, other than a willingness to give time to the role and a capacity
for working with other people. Governors serve for terms of four (4) years and are drawn
from across the whole community. They are people with an interest in education from all
walks of life who simply want to make a contribution.
There are different categories of governor:
Parent- elected by parents of children at the school
Staff- elected by the school staff and usually includes the head teacher
Foundation- those appointed by the church or trust which supports the school
Local Authority- those appointed by the Local Education Authority from political parties
and the community
Co-opted- appointed by the school governing body for their particular interests or
experience, or to represent a section of the community, such as local employers
Sponsor- appointed by the governing body at its own discretion from amongst individuals
who provide services to the school
The type of governor you will become depends on your situation; however all governors have
the same roles and responsibilities once part of the governing body.
To be an effective governor you need to:
-Have an interest in education, schools and young people;
-Be able to listen to other people’s views, to discuss them and then to form your own
judgments;
-Be willing to support the decisions taken by the whole governing body;
-Have time to play your full part in the work of the governing body;
-Be willing to learn;
Process:
If anyone is interested in becoming a parent governor, application forms are available from
the child’s school.
If they wish to become a local education authority (LEA) governor or a community governor,
candidates are usually required to download an application form using the links provided in
the local authority’s websites.
3. Queens Honour’s
Honours exist to recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements. There are always
fewer honours than people who deserve them and because they are rare, they should
be reserved for people:
• who have changed things – especially by solid, practical achievement
• whose work has brought distinction to British life or enhanced the UK’s
reputation in their area or activity
Candidates need to have shown one or both of these characteristics to be eligible for
an honour.
Honours are open to all and are given to people from all walks of life and sections of
society who have made a difference to their community or field of work. This can
include long-term voluntary service, improving life for people less able to help
themselves or displaying moral courage and vision in making and delivering tough
choices.
Nominations are particularly welcomed for ‘local heroes’ who are well respected by
local people and who have made a difference in their neighbourhood. Over half of all
awards go to people who are putting something extra into the community on a
voluntary basis. They could be charity volunteers, members of the emergency services or
Armed Forces, industrial pioneers or specialists in various professions.
All nominations for honours are treated in the strictest confidence. The person to be
nominated should not be informed as it would not be fair to raise expectations in case
they are not met; only 1,350 honours awarded on each occasion, twice a year, and
there are many thousands of nominations received.
Who can be nominated for an honour
Nominations for the Honours List can be made by private individuals or by representatives of
organisations. Anyone can nominate a person for an honour, provided that it is for service to
the community and is not a self-nomination.
Each nomination is considered on its merits so, if you want to nominate someone for an
honour, you should be sure that there are substantial objective reasons for doing so.
How to nominate someone for an honour
If you wish to nominate someone for an honour, you can obtain an Honours nomination form
from:-
Honours and Appointments Secretariat
Cabinet Office
Ground Floor
