magistrate's court

American

noun

a court having limited jurisdiction over minor civil and criminal matters, as matters of contract not exceeding a particular amount of money.
police court.

magistrates' court British

noun

(in England) a court of summary jurisdiction held before two or more justices of the peace or a stipendiary magistrate to deal with minor crimes, certain civil actions, and preliminary hearings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of magistrate's court

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The accused appeared in a magistrate's court in the capital city Pretoria on Tuesday and were granted bail.

From BBC

Riley appeared at Westminster Magistrate's Court in London on Saturday and has been remanded in custody while the authorities pursue an extradition bid.

From BBC

The former flight attendant arrived at Negombo Magistrate's Court on Friday wearing a white knee-length dress, her long hair parted to the side.

From BBC

The sentence, handed down by the Colombo Magistrate's Court, comes after a presidential pardon he received in 2019 for a six-year sentence related to intimidation and contempt of court.

From BBC

The suspect - Amjad Khan from Blackburn - appeared at Blackburn Magistrate’s Court and pleaded not guilty.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023