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• magistrate's court
  magistrate's court

  noun

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

  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

magistrate's court

American  

noun

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

2. police court.

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magistrates' court British  

noun

1. (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

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Etymology

Origin of magistrate's court

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

magistrate's court magistrates' court

Pictures from the magistrate's court in eastern Uganda show him dressed in a white tunic, or kanzu, and walking with the aid of a crutch under his right arm.

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2023

In Russia, a magistrate’s court typically handles administrative violations and low-level criminal cases.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 17, 2023

The two men appeared in a magistrate's court in the South African city of Bloemfontein.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2023

On Thursday, a magistrate’s court issued orders blocking him, his son Namal and other key allies from leaving the country, lawyers present at the hearing said.

From Reuters ● May 12, 2022

The first stage took place in a magistrate’s court.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Connor Bishop, 24, Reece Robinson, 21, and Noah Etherington, 18, all admitted to the charge during magistrates' court hearings in Southampton and Portsmouth.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

Omar Majed, from Birmingham, gave no indication of plea to a charge of communicating false information to police and was remanded in custody at the city's magistrates' court.

From BBC ● May 4, 2026

However, this would require multiple extensions from senior police officers and a magistrates' court.

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026

A prosecution lawyer had outlined some detail about the allegations against Mr Spencer at an earlier magistrates' court hearing.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2025

There was a large town hall with a magistrates' court, where the bench sat every month once.

From A Book of Ghosts by Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)