Legal Definitions - beak

In British English slang, "beak" refers to a magistrate or justice of the peace. These individuals are judicial officers who preside over minor legal cases in local courts.

The term beak is British English slang used to refer to a magistrate or a justice of the peace.

A magistrate or justice of the peace is a judicial officer who presides over minor legal cases, often in local courts. Their responsibilities typically include hearing summary offenses, conducting preliminary hearings for more serious crimes, issuing warrants, and performing other administrative legal duties.

Here are some examples illustrating the use of this term:

• Example 1: After receiving a summons for a minor traffic violation, a frustrated driver might grumble to a friend, "I've got to appear before the beak next Tuesday to explain why I was parked illegally."

  Explanation: In this context, "the beak" refers to the magistrate or justice of the peace who will preside over the traffic court hearing and decide the outcome of the parking violation case.

• Example 2: In a small town, if there's a persistent dispute between neighbors over property lines that can't be resolved informally, one resident might suggest, "If we can't sort this out ourselves, we'll have to take it to the local beak to get a formal ruling."

  Explanation: Here, "the local beak" signifies the justice of the peace or magistrate responsible for handling minor civil disputes and issuing official decisions within the community.

• Example 3: During an informal discussion about local court proceedings, one person might comment, "Did you hear that young lad was up before the beak again for causing a disturbance in the town square?"

  Explanation: This usage illustrates the slang term referring to the magistrate who heard the case concerning the public disturbance, highlighting their role in administering local justice.