Justice of the peace (JP) is a title for a public officer authorized to preside over a local court of limited jurisdiction, referred to as a court of a justice of the peace. A justice of the peace is sometimes referred to as a “lay judge”, as many jurisdictions do not require JPs to be qualified lawyers. Instead, JPs are given training in the laws that apply in that court after they are elected or appointed.
Justices of the peace have extremely limited powers, extending only to minor criminal or civil disputes within their precinct. Depending on the jurisdiction, a justice of the peace may have the power to adjudicate on small claims, traffic violations, bail hearings, or even criminal misdemeanors. When the decisions of a JP are appealed, the circuit court does not give any weight to their rulings, reviewing each case de novo, further limiting their power.
In some jurisdictions, justices of the peace also serve an administrative function, being able to officiate marriages, administer oaths, or issue search warrants.
The justice of the peace system was first instituted by King Edward III in the fourteenth century and was brought to the United States by early settlers. The decentralized system was designed to provide small communities access to the legal system, ensuring that disputes could be resolved in a peaceful manner. Today, justices of the peace serve a very similar function, increasing access to justice by reducing the expense required to resolve minor disputes.
[Last updated in June of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]