Business leaders urged to consider magistracy at upcoming webinar

Business leaders urged to consider magistracy at upcoming webinar

Ahead of a webinar designed to recruit more magistrates from the local community in the West Midlands, Ruth Fleet, senior policy advisor at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, spoke to one of the speakers at the event, Sheila Chingono (pictured), to find out more about what business leaders might learn.

For many business leaders, civic contribution begins in the workplace — creating opportunities, supporting communities and shaping the places where they operate. But for Sheila Chingono, a Home Office lawyer and magistrate, there is another powerful way to make a difference: serving on the bench.

Sheila, who has worked in the Civil Service since 2013 and now represents the Home Office in immigration and asylum appeals, first discovered magistracy through a colleague.

Despite already being a lawyer for several years, she had not realised it was a route open to her.

That experience has since shaped her outreach work, as she now speaks to organisations and communities about a role she believes far more people — especially working professionals — should know about.

Sheila said “Even within the legal profession, people don’t realise that they can be magistrates. I want people to know about being a magistrate the same way they know about donating blood”.

What makes Sheila’s story especially striking is how clearly magistracy sits alongside a demanding career.

She works full-time and fits the role around her professional commitments, describing a system that can be flexible when employers are supportive.

Magistrates are required to sit for a minimum of 13 days a year, and Sheila believes that for many employers, particularly those with strong values around volunteering and social impact, this should be seen not as a burden but as an investment in people and place.

Sheila said: “Employers don’t always see the direct value but it’s about shifting that mindset. Being a magistrate boosts your mental health. You feel better about yourself and bring more back to the workplace.”

For Sheila, the role has become about much more than professional development. After experiencing a stroke, she said returning to the magistracy — with the right support and adjustments — gave her a renewed sense of purpose and confidence.

It also reinforced her belief that volunteering in a meaningful civic role can have a positive effect on wellbeing, motivation and perspective in other areas of life, including work.

She also speaks powerfully about the value of representation.

As one of the younger people on the bench, she is conscious that different voices and backgrounds matter in the justice system.

Her experience has strengthened her view that magistracy should better reflect the society it serves, and that younger working people can bring real insight, balance and relatability to the courtroom.

Above all, Sheila wants to demystify the role. Too many people, she says, still do not know what a magistrate is, let alone that they could become one.

That is why she will be leading the webinar, alongside a family magistrate colleague, to offer an honest and practical introduction to what the role involves and why it matters.

For business leaders looking to broaden their impact beyond the day job, her message is simple: magistracy is challenging, rewarding and urgently needed — and it may be more possible than many think.

Register for the webinar, happening on Monday, 29 June at 5pm