Magistrates

A “magistrate” is a person who makes a decision in court.  They work in a different type of court to judges.  They work in Family Courts where they can decide about things like Care Orders.  They also work in Criminal Courts where people who have broken the law are seen.  Sometimes there may be more than one magistrate in a court.

Magistrates are chosen for their jobs because they are able to listen to all sides of a case and then make decisions about what should happen.