Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
WordNet
n. paid magistrate (appointed by the Home Secretary) dealing with police cases [syn: stipendiary]
Wikipedia
Stipendiary magistrates, magistrates in receipt of a stipend, are the most junior judges in the Scottish judiciary. As of 2014 there are only 4.9 full-time equivalent posts and the only court they sit in is the Justice of the Peace Court in Glasgow. The Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill, making its way through the Scottish Parliament during 2014, proposes the abolition of the post upon the creation of the new post of summary sheriff. There will be a larger number of summary sheriffs, with around 60 of them sitting in more justice of the peace courts and sheriff courts, throughout the country. Under the Bill any stipendiary magistrates in post on implementation of the legislation will become summary sheriffs and would automatically transfer unless they decline the appointment.
Summary sheriffs will be able to sit in justice of the peace courts but will only be able to exercise the same summary criminal powers as a justice of the peace. However, when they sit in a sheriff court they will exercise the same powers as a sheriff in relation to summary criminal business.
Usage examples of "stipendiary magistrate".
Big Jack came around to apologise to us, he knows how difficult things are, but there's nothing he could do about it because Tommy was arrested and held overnight in Wangaratta and went before the stipendiary magistrate, the one and only Oliver Twist, the very next morning and got six months for petty theft.
There at the Town Hall he appeared before the stipendiary magistrate, and was charged with the murder of Arthur Dyson.
True to the Lord Chancellor's fearless and totally misguided shake-up of the Bar, Mr Bernard was encouraged to represent Ben Baker before the South London stipendiary magistrate, a small, pinkish, self-important, failed barrister of mediocre intelligence.