Magistrates' Court (England and Wales)
The Magistrates' Court is the lowest court in the judicial system in England and Wales .
occupation
The Magistrates' Court with at least two, usually three lay judges, called magistrates (from Lat. Magister "Master"), or justices of the peace ( " Justice of the Peace , busy"), of which there are in the whole of England and Wales about 30,000. They are usually selected from among the local dignitaries and a clerk to the justices is there to advise them as a lawyer. In large cities there are exceptional professional judges, the District Judges (formerly stipendiary magistrates ).
tasks
The main focus of the Magistrates' Court is criminal law: the maximum penalty is £ 5,000 fine or six months in prison. Serious, so-called indictable offenses , must be decided by the Crown Court . Under civil law, he sits as the Family Proceedings Court and primarily decides on maintenance matters and custody. Prosecution for proceedings before the Crown Court is conducted by the Crown Prosecution Service .