Magistrate Interview Ranking Exercise

If you have read our Becoming a Magistrate page, you will already know that the second stage interview features a ranking exercise.

If you haven't already read that page, you might find it useful before continuing to read below. There are also several books available that provide snippets of advice to help prepare candidates for interview (see here and here for two of the better known examples).

After a recent recruitment drought, a lot of Advisory Committees will be advertising for new Magistrates this year. A recent change in the rules means that Magistrates can now be appointed directly to the Family Panel, as well as the more traditional Adult Panel route.

On arrival at their second stage interview venue, candidates will be given a copy of the ranking exercise and a case study. They will be given half an hour to consider both of these tasks, during which time they can make any notes they consider necessary. Part of the formal interview will explore the issues surrounding these two tasks. Candidates can refer to their notes for assistance.

The ranking exercise contains brief details of ten (or so) offences. Candidates are asked to rank these offences in order of seriousness. Full ranking is not required, but they need to form an opinion about which four of the offences are the most serious. They should also be able to justify their opinion by making reference to the aggravating and mitigating features of each offence.

An Example Ranking Exercise:

Select the four most serious offences from those described below. Rank those four offences in order of seriousness:

1. A police officer walked past a car and smelt the distinctive aroma of cannabis wafting through an open window. The officer searched the occupants of the vehicle and found that the 19-year-old back seat passenger had a small amount of cannabis resin in her pocket. She has previously been cautioned for a similar offence.

2. A 35-year-old woman was running very late to pick up her children from school. She was pulled over by the police for speeding at 38 mph in a 30 mph zone. This incident took place in January, so the light was already fading and the conditions were icy.

3. A married couple got into a heated row in a busy restaurant. The 46-year-old wife slapped her 48-year-old husband across the face and threw a glass of wine over him. The rowing continued, much to the annoyance of other diners, until eventually the police arrived. The man didn't want to make a complaint, but the woman was arrested for a public order offence.

4. A 22-year-old man with a serious heroin addiction walked into his local supermarket, filled a shopping trolley with £500 worth of spirits and then pushed the trolley out of the store without paying. The police arrested him a few days later, by which time he had already sold the alcohol to raise funds for buying drugs. He has previously been imprisoned for shop theft and drugs offences.

5. A 28-year-old man was arrested after police found his blood at the scene of a domestic burglary. The occupiers of the property, who were upstairs asleep in bed at the time, heard breaking glass and went downstairs to investigate. The man fled when he saw the lights turn on. 

6. A 50-year-old ambulance first responder was caught driving without insurance. When stopped by the police, he was adamant that his wife had renewed the policy. He had a clean driving licence.

7. An 18-year-old single mother was arrested for stealing food from a supermarket. She was caught with the items concealed under her jacket. When questioned she said she needed the food for her children.

8. A 32-year-old man was arrested after CCTV cameras caught him spraying racist graffiti, "Die you P*** scum", on the shutters of an Indian restaurant in the middle of the night. Enquiries revealed that his family owns a pizza restaurant further down the same street. He has previously been cautioned for spitting and swearing at the Indian restaurant owners.

9. A 26-year-old man was arrested for making more than 100 abusive calls to the emergency services over the space of a month. When questioned by the police he said he was lonely and needed someone to talk to.

10. A 65-year-old woman, with no previous convictions, was arrested for criminal damage after scratching the paintwork on her neighbour's car. She told the police that she had cracked after loud music from the house next door kept her awake the previous night.

There is no single right or wrong answer to the ranking exercise, but candidates are expected to demonstrate potential judicial aptitude in arriving at their four chosen offences.

We shall provide further commentary on this example ranking exercise in a separate document.