police court


noun

an inferior court with summary jurisdiction for the trial of persons accused of any of certain minor offenses, and with power to examine those charged with more serious offenses and hold them for trial in a superior court or for a grand jury.
Also called magistrate's court.

Origin of police court

First recorded in 1815–25

Example sentences from the Web for police court

British Dictionary definitions for police court

police court

noun

another name for magistrates' court
(in Scotland, formerly) a burgh court with limited jurisdiction, presided over by lay magistrates or a stipendiary magistrate: replaced in 1975 by the district court See also district court