Ethnic minority magistrate Asha Ali

TheLord Chancellor's Office is trying to change public perception and encourage more members of minority ethnic communities to become more involved with the workings of the law.

Asha Ali is the only member of the city's Somali community represented on the Cardiff bench.

That is something the government recognises needs to change.

She has been a magistrate for a year but is one of only 16 from a minority ethnic background, out of the 257 magistrates in the city.

She has found that the system is open to all, but admits that it took her a long time to realise that she had the skills needed.

She said common sense is one of the qualities needed to do the job, along with one other quality.

Development worker Tony Hendrixon has applied

"A sense of justice, fair play, that's about it," she said.

"You don't need to be overly qualified or highly educated."

Simon Woolley is a spokesman for the Lord Chancellor's Office, Operaton Black Vote.

"Operation Black Vote seeks to address that deficit to get young people and to get Africans, Asians, Caribbeans and other people of colour, on the benches so that the benches then look like the people they seek to serve," he said.

One person who has already applied to the scheme is Cardiff ethnic minority development and outreach worker, Tony Hendrixon.

"One of the things we're looking to do it to get people involved in the various different stratas of the law.

The project, which is due to start in Wales soon, is open to people aged over 25.