[noun] [C] - a person who acts as a judge in a law court dealing with crimes which are not seriousHe is to appear before the magistrates today.In this decade, many more women were appointed to the magistrates' bench (= became magistrates).Greenway appeared at Bow Street Magistrates' Court to face seven charges of accepting bribes.
MAGISTRATE
Meaning of MAGISTRATE in English
Cambridge English vocab. Кембриджский английский словарь. 2012