magistrate

magistrate — noun

1. in the English and Welsh legal system, someone who judges minor criminal cases i

1.名詞B2
釋義

in the English and Welsh legal system, someone who judges minor criminal cases in a lower court, typically without being a paid professional lawyer.

例句

The magistrate ordered Mateo to pay a fine for damaging a neighbour's fence.

Kian appeared before the local magistrates after he was caught cycling without lights at night.

collocation: appear before a magistrate

同義詞
  • justice of the peace

    the same role but the formal title used in many English-speaking countries besides England and Wales

  • lay judge

    a general term for any non-professional judge, including magistrates in volunteer systems

文法句型

appear before a magistrate

magistrate + verb (singular/plural)

用法筆記

Frequently called a Justice of the Peace (JP) in other common-law countries. Magistrates in England and Wales are usually unpaid volunteers (lay magistrates) who sit in groups of three and are advised on the law by a trained legal adviser.

常見錯誤

❌The magistrate sent him to prison for ten years.
✅The magistrate fined him for the minor offence.
💡Magistrates in the UK can only impose short sentences (up to 6 months) for less serious crimes; longer sentences go to the Crown Court.

2. in the US federal court system, a judge who deals with minor legal matters and c

2.名詞C1
釋義

in the US federal court system, a judge who deals with minor legal matters and carries out pretrial duties for a district judge — for example, setting bail amounts or checking the evidence before a trial begins.

例句

The federal magistrate reviewed the court documents before the district judge took over the case.

federal magistrate (US-specific title)

The lawyer asked the magistrate to lower bail so Christopher could await trial at home.

magistrate sets bail (pretrial role)

同義詞

文法句型

federal magistrate + verb

magistrate + hears/reviews/decides

用法筆記

In US federal courts the official title is 'United States magistrate judge'. This role was created to help district judges manage their heavy workload. Unlike UK lay magistrates, US federal magistrate judges are fully trained lawyers appointed for a fixed term.

常見錯誤

❌A US magistrate is the same as a UK magistrate.
✅A US federal magistrate judge is a trained lawyer who handles pretrial work, while a UK magistrate is often a volunteer without legal training.
💡The roles share a name but differ greatly in qualifications and duties.

3. in a US state court system, a judge who hears less serious criminal cases, such

3.名詞C1
釋義

in a US state court system, a judge who hears less serious criminal cases, such as traffic violations, small claims disputes, or minor theft offences.

例句

The state magistrate fined Amihan a hundred dollars for running a red light.

state magistrate (US state-level title)

Kabir explained to the magistrate why he had not paid last year's court fines.

同義詞

文法句型

state magistrate + verb

before a state magistrate

用法筆記

Each US state decides the exact powers of its magistrates; some states call them 'county court judges' or simply 'magistrates'. They typically handle the lowest level of criminal offences and minor civil cases such as small claims (disputes under a certain dollar amount).

常見錯誤

❌All US magistrates work for the federal government.
✅Most US magistrates work at the state level, handling local cases like traffic tickets and small claims.
💡Only federal magistrate judges work for the national court system; state magistrates are employed by individual states.