Judicial officer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A judicial officer is a person with responsibilties and powers to facilate, arbitrate, preside over, and make decisions and directions in regard to the application of laws.

A judicial officer's level of responsibility and power can vary.

Judicial officers are typically categorised as:

• Judges
• Magistrates
• Justices of the Peace (JP) or inferior jurisdiction judges
• Notary public or Commissioner of Oaths

A judicial officer's powers are usually constrained to be applicable within a defined jurisdiction.

While there is range in the level of powers of a judicial officer, the boundaries between these and the names given to them vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

While a judicial officer refers to an individual, collectively, and the structured system they are part of, are often referred to as the judiciary.