No formal legal qualifications are required. The court clerk will advise on points of law. But you will receive training before you sit in court and on-going training after that. Prospective magistrates must be able to sit on a regular basis for at least 26 half day sittings a year. Although unpaid, JPs may claim a loss allowance at a set rate for any loss of earnings from their employer.
Many firms allow time off with pay.
Travel and subsistence allowances can also be claimed. Almost anyone aged between 27and 65 can apply.