Dozens of court cases could be delayed or cancelled because there are not enough magistrates to hear them.

Brighton and Hove's courts are around 100 magistrates short of the number they need to run properly and an urgent appeal has been made for volunteers from all backgrounds to make up the shortfall.

The Lord Lieutenancy of East Sussex, responsible for appointing magistrates, said the number of applications last year had dropped to a "worrying" level.

Hilary Humphreys, secretary to the Lord Lieutenant, said: "We have been running with a shortfall for the last five years and there are no signs of improvement.

"If there are not enough magistrates to cover all of the sittings, some courts might have to be cancelled or some cases might be heard by two magistrates instead of three."

Although 27 new magistrates were sworn in last week, Mrs Humphreys said it would take years before Brighton and Hove had enough for its busy courts.

The new justices of the peace will join 213 other part-timers on the Central Sussex Bench, which hears cases at magistrates courts in Brighton, Hove and Lewes.

It needs around 100 more members to reach its ideal level but only 50 new magistrates can be trained each year.

Bench chairwoman Juliet Smith said: "We have not been forced to cancel any courts yet. We have always made up the shortfall by working more hours but the workload has increased substantially because of it."

Mrs Humphreys said part of the problem was that magistrates have traditionally been residents approaching, or at, retirement age.

As they are obliged to retire from the bench at 70, many are unable to serve for long. As a result more members have been leaving the bench than joining it. The shortage has created an increasing workload for the existing magistrates, which has caused more to resign and has deterred others from applying.

Penal justice campaign group the Howard League said any delays or changes to the court procedure would be unfair to both defendants and victims.

Spokesman Frances Crook said: "Justice needs to be quick and fair. It is important for victims to see a resolution to cases and there are already too many delays in the system."

"Each defendant kept in custody because of court cancellations would cost tax-payers about £1,000 per week."

She added that having just two magistrates at hearings would be ineffective.

She said: "The whole point of having three is to have a majority decision. If there's just a pair of them that would be impossible. If I was a defendant I would feel very uncomfortable about any verdict delivered that way."

The Lord Lieutenancy has been trying to attract residents from more diverse backgrounds to make up the shortfall.

Anyone between 18 and 64 can apply to be a magistrate as long they live in East Sussex or within 15 miles of its boundaries.

Training is given and magistrates are expected to attend a minimum of 26 sittings per year.

Almost 97 per cent of all criminal cases are first heard in Magistrates Courts.

For more details, phone 01273 481558 or 01273 482630