Justice of the Peace
Magistrates (also known as Justices of the Peace or JPs) are volunteers who hear cases in courts in their community. Magistrates’ courts are the first tier within the justice system and are where all criminal cases begin.
In court, a magistrate is addressed as ‘Your Worship’, or ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’. In correspondence, the letters ‘JP’ may be used after the name on the envelope, but this is not obligatory. Note that ‘JP’ precedes ‘DL’ as the former is a Crown appointment and the latter a lord-lieutenant’s appointment.
