A long-serving magistrate has retired from the bench after 14 years of service.

Belinda Pilling sat for the final time on Thursday as members of the judiciary gathered to pay tribute.

Chair of the Isle of Man Magistrates’ Association Gill Eaton said that it was a sad day, and that Ms Pilling had previously had a long medical career, so her knowledge in relation to complex medical reports had proved very beneficial to other magistrates.

Ms Eaton said that Ms Pilling was easy-going, and was always diligent and ready to step up to cover courts.

She added: ‘We wish you a very long and happy retirement, and thank you very much for what you have brought to the bench.’

Advocate Roger Kane paid tribute on behalf of the Attorney General's Chambers, saying: ‘We wish you well in your retirement.

‘I have appeared in front of you many times and you have always been even-handed and it has always been a pleasure to appear in front of you.’

Advocate Jim Travers paid tribute on behalf of the Manx bar and said that, not only had he had the pleasure of appearing before Ms Pilling in the courtroom, but he had also regularly seen her on the fairways at Castletown Golf Club.

Mr Travers said: ‘Thank you for your thoughtful and empathetic consideration of cases.

‘We all wish you the best.’

Ms Pilling was a radiographer by profession and in 2009, her late husband had come across an advert for magistrates, which had prompted her to apply.

Ms Pilling said: ‘One of the important qualities is that we are from diverse backgrounds, which can lead to interesting discussions in the retirement room.

‘We are aware these decisions can have significant impacts on lives.’

Ms Pilling referred to a case in October 2020 when she chaired a magistrates’ bench which jailed four visiting workmen from Doncaster who breached the island’s Corona virus quarantine rules.

Ms Pilling said: ‘Although there was a fair amount of coverage, we knew we had a responsibility to safeguard the public.’

She also recalled being stopped in the street by a former defendant who told her that he had ‘turned his life around’.

Ms Pilling said she had experienced changes during her time working as a magistrate, such as the Attorney General's Chambers prosecuting cases instead of the police, probation officers attending court and the introduction of the Domestic Abuse Act.

Ms Pilling went on to thank Clerk to the Justices, Rebecca Cubbon, saying that she had been a ‘breath of fresh air’ since taking up the role, and that sentencing guidelines were perfectly organised.

She also thanked Court Clerk Zoe Cannell for her ‘endless patience’, particularly regarding rota swaps.

‘I feel deeply honoured and privileged to have served the community as a magistrates, and am filled with hope and optimism for the future of this honourable profession,’ concluded Ms Pilling.