justice's court

or justice court

noun

, Law.

1. an inferior tribunal, not of record, having limited jurisdiction, both civil and criminal, and presided over by a justice of the peace.

Word History and Origins

Origin of justice's court¹

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

Goodson’s attorney said the justice’s court fight “put sunshine” on spending by outside groups.

From Seattle Times

The head of the Novosibirsk diocese, who had not seen the opera, claimed in a letter to the local prosecutor’s office that the production violated laws against offending the feelings of religious believers and inciting religious discord, but a justice’s court in Novosibirsk found nothing wrong with the production.

From The New Yorker

So the ball is now firmly in the Ministry of Justice's court.

From BBC

He is no lawyer, could not try a case properly even in a Justice's court and has no character.

From Project Gutenberg

What was, from one point of view, a matter of as much importance, my business began to drop off; men who had placed their legal affairs in my hands no longer sought me for advice and only an occasional petty case in some justice's court came to afford me a livelihood.

From Project Gutenberg