justice of the peace

justice of the peace
A judicial magistrate (of English origin) of inferior rank having (usually) jurisdiction limited to that prescribed by statute in civil matters (e.g. performance of marriages) and jurisdiction over minor criminal offenses, committing more serious crimes to higher courts. Trend in most states has been to abolish office and courts of justice of the peace, transferring their powers and functions to other courts; e.g. municipal or district courts.

Black's law dictionary. . 1990.

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  • justice of the peace — justice of the peace: a local judicial official who is empowered chiefly to administer oaths, perform marriage ceremonies, certify documents, and in some states may have additional judicial powers (as to issue summonses) Merriam Webster’s… …   Law dictionary

  • Justice of the peace — Justice Jus tice (j[u^]s t[i^]s), n. [F., fr. L. justitia, fr. justus just. See {Just}, a.] [1913 Webster] 1. The quality of being just; conformity to the principles of righteousness and rectitude in all things; strict performance of moral… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • justice of the peace — ˌjustice of the ˈpeace abbreviation JP noun justices of the peace PLURALFORM [countable] LAW a magistrate (= type of judge) in Britain and in some US states who judges less serious cases in lower law courts: • …   Financial and business terms

  • Justice of the peace — Peace Peace, n. [OE. pees, pais, OF. pais, paiz, pes, F. paix, L. pax, pacis, akin to pacere, paciscere, pacisci, to make an agreement, and prob. also pangere to fasten. Cf. {Appease}, {Fair}, a., {Fay}, v., {Fang}, {Pacify}, {Pact}, {Pay} to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Justice of the Peace — (engl., spr. dschößtĭß ŏf thĕ pihß), Friedensrichter (s. Friedensrichte) …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Justice of the Peace — n JP someone who judges less serious cases in small law courts and, in the US, can perform marriage ceremonies …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Justice of the Peace — noun count a government official similar to a judge who works in the lower courts and can perform marriage ceremonies: MAGISTRATE …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Justice of the Peace — ► NOUN ▪ (in the UK) a lay magistrate appointed to hear minor cases, grant licences, etc., in a town or county …   English terms dictionary

  • Justice of the peace — (engl., spr. dschöstīs ŏw dhĕ pīß), Friedensrichter, s. Friedensgerichte …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • justice of the peace — n. in some states, a magistrate with jurisdiction over a small district, authorized to decide minor cases, commit persons to trial in a higher court, perform marriages, etc …   English World dictionary

  • Justice of the Peace — A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a puisne judicial officer appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice and deal with local administrative applications in common law… …   Wikipedia

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