The Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine has welcomed news that ten per cent of new magistrates are now over 55.
It follows the increase of the upper age limit for the appointment of magistrates from the age of 55, which had operated in practice, to 65.
Lord Irvine was known to regard the existing policy as ageist, and failing to pay sufficient regard to the contribution which older people could make to the life of their communities. 

The Government has announced a scheme to pair young people with adult ‘role models’.
The ‘role models’ will be people who can give young people the motivation to succeed, and builds on an development exercise carried out in many areas  of professional life.
The projects have been awarded a slice of a hundred and fifty thousand pound Government fund
- the National Mentoring Bursary Programme.