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Becoming a Magistrate

Hi. Does anyone know if becoming a magistrate while still a student affects your eligibility to become a barrister in the future? Because if you are a barrister you are not necessarily eligible to become a magistrate, so does anyone know if being a magistrate first can affect your future eligibility? Thank you :smile:

Reply 1

Crazy Jamie

Careers Forum Helper

Whilst I don't know the answer definitively, I would be very surprised if being a magistrate in the past in any way affected your eligibility to become a barrister. Realistically to affect your eligibility it would need to prevent you from being called to the Bar, and again I can't think of any logical basis on which it would.

Reply 2

Xanyi

Original post by EL77

I know of someone who was called to the Bar but then became a Justice of the Peace while she searched for pupillage.

I'm not sure how she managed this because it was my understanding that barristers could not be lay magistrates - but perhaps this just applies to those with a practising certificate, which she does not yet have.

Reply 3

Crazy Jamie

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by Xanyi

I'm not sure how she managed this because it was my understanding that barristers could not be lay magistrates - but perhaps this just applies to those with a practising certificate, which she does not yet have.