Mock Court sessions designed to encourage potential magistrates to join the bench will be held in Bradford next month.

Bradford Magistrates Court hopes its two recruitment evenings in May will attract a record number of people interested in becoming JPs - the last time an event like this was held in 2001, more than 130 people turned up.

During the two evenings, magistrates will act out scripted mock cases and visitors will be able to have a go at making the kind of decisions that magistrates have to make for real.

Potential magistrates have to live or work locally, be aged between 27 and 65 and be able to be at a minimum of 26 sittings a year.

No legal qualifications are needed for the voluntary positions as independent legal advice is given to them in court. Qualities that are vital include being fair and impartial, being a good communicator and listener, having good judgement and common sense and being committed and reliable.

There are just under 250 magistrates on the Bradford Bench at the moment but Chairman of the Bench Angela Barker said at least 20 more are needed.

She said: "Ideally we need to have 270 or 280 because there's a lot of work to do in Bradford and the fewer of us there are, the more we have to sit and the Lord Chancellor doesn't like us to do too much because we are supposed to be lay-people, not legal professionals.

"We're hoping news of these recruitment evenings will get right round the community - to all its sections, especially to the Asian community where we are still slightly under-represented.

"The message we want to get across is the ordinary people doing ordinary jobs can become magistrates. You don't have to have a degree or a high-flying job." Throughout the year, the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee looks for magistrates from all walks of life and is particularly interested in people from Asian communities.

As part of a separate initiative, Bradford was chosen for a second time in February to take part in a national recruitment scheme - co-run by the Lord Chancellor's department and Operation Black Vote - aimed at getting more young people and members of ethnic minorities involved in the legal process.

Organisers decided to repeat the scheme because the first one in 2002 was such a successe.

Entry to Bradford Magistrates' Court recruitment evenings on Tuesday May 13 and Thursday May 22, from 6pm to 9.30pm, is limited and by invitation only. To find out how to apply telephone (01274) 302034/5.