Magistrate

Magistrate
	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.