an official who acts as a judge in the lowest courts of lawsynonymmagistrateIn 1579 he was appointed Justice of the Peace for Kent.See related entries:People in lawCultureIn England and Wales the title is given to a magistrate, while in Scotland it is given to a judge in a district court. In the US, Justices of the Peace are local judges who deal with minor legal matters, send cases to higher courts of law, and can also perform marriages.note atthe legal system
