Back Landdros Afrikaans رجل قضاء Arabic Магистрат Bulgarian ম্যাজিস্ট্রেট Bengali/Bangla Magistrat Catalan Magistrat Danish Magistrado Spanish Magistraat Estonian Magistratu Basque Magistrat French
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 Sir Lyman Poore Duff, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada | |
| Occupation | |
|---|---|
| Names | Judge, justice of the peace, magistrate, judicial magistrate (particular in Germany) |
Occupation type | Profession |
Activity sectors | Law |
| Description | |
| Competencies | Analytical mind, critical thinking, impartiality, common sense |
Education required | Usually experience as an advocate (varies by jurisdiction) |
Fields of employment | Courts |
Related jobs | Barrister, solicitor, prosecutor |
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judicial and executive powers. In other parts of the world, such as China, magistrate is a word applied to a person responsible for administration over a particular geographic area. Today, in some jurisdictions, a magistrate is a judicial officer who hears cases in a lower court, and typically deals with more minor or preliminary matters. In other jurisdictions (e.g., England and Wales), magistrates are typically trained volunteers appointed to deal with criminal and civil matters in their local areas.