magistrate's court

noun

1. a court having limited jurisdiction over minor civil and criminal matters, as matters of contract not exceeding a particular amount of money.
2. police court.

magistrates' court

noun

1. (in England) a court of summary jurisdiction held before two or more justices of the peace or a stipendiary magistrate to deal with minor crimes, certain civil actions, and preliminary hearings

Word History and Origins

Origin of magistrate's court¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

The suspect - Amjad Khan from Blackburn - appeared at Blackburn Magistrate’s Court and pleaded not guilty.

From BBC

He was sent for trial at Lancaster Magistrate’s Court in November.

From BBC

After nearly nine months of waiting for the hearing, Khan’s case was listed for 09:30 at Lancaster Magistrate’s Court.

From BBC

When he first appeared at Newry Magistrate’s Court in July 2019 he was just 21, with long, fuzzy hair and the wide-eyed look of someone surprised to be sitting where he was.

From BBC

The consultation suggests that if a magistrate's court orders that someone be quarantined and they leave quarantine then a police officer may take them into custody and return them to where they were supposed to be quarantined.

From BBC