justice of the peace

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 Dictionary of Law. . 1996.

justice of the peace
n.
A magistrate with minor local authority, who hears minor criminal and civil cases, performs marriages, and handles other civil matters; most states have replaced justices of the peace with other courts and officers.
abbrv.
J.P.

The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. . 2008.


justice of the peace
(JP)
An official who handles minor legal matters such as misdemeanors, small claims actions, marriages, and traffic matters. Dating back to early English Common Law, "JPs" were very common up to the 1950s, but are now primarily found in rural areas from which it is unreasonable for the public to travel to the county seat for minor matters.
Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits

Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. . 2009.


justice of the peace
n. A local official, not necessarily an attorney or judge, with jurisdiction over limited matters such as performing weddings or resolving minor civil or criminal complaints.

Webster's New World Law Dictionary. . 2000.


justice of the peace
A judicial officer with limited power whose duties may include hearing cases that involve civil controversies, conserving the peace, performing judicial acts, hearing minor criminal complaints, and committing offenders.

Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.


justice of the peace
A judicial officer with limited power whose duties may include hearing cases that involve civil controversies, conserving the peace, performing judicial acts, hearing minor criminal complaints, and committing offenders.

Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.

justice of the peace
   (JP)
n.
   a judge who handles minor legal matters such as misdemeanors, small claims actions and traffic matters in "justice courts." Dating back to early English common law, "JPs" were very common up to the 1950s, but they now exist primarily in rural "justice districts" from which it is unreasonable for the public to travel to the county seat for trials of minor matters. In Nevada justices of the peace are lucrative jobs since they perform many of the marriages of elopers from other states, as Nevada has no waiting period from license to wedding. A justice of the peace is usually an attorney, but some states still allow laypersons to qualify by taking a test.

Law dictionary. . 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • 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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