Magistrates Court Act 1987
13Jurisdiction and powers of magistrates
Start here
Get a plain-English read of 13
Turn the raw legal text into a practical explanation grounded in Magistrates Court Act 1987.
13 Jurisdiction and powers of magistrates
[Section 13 Subsection (2) amended by No. 16 of 1995, s. 94 ]**[Section 13 Subsection (2) amended by No. 74 of 1995, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
(1) A magistrate has jurisdiction as a magistrate throughout the State.
(2) [Section 13 Subsection (2) amended by No. 13 of 1989, s. 11 ][Section 13 Subsection (2) amended by No. 27 of 1992, Sched. 1, Applied:30 Mar 1998] [Section 13 Subsection (2) substituted by No. 54 of 2003, s. 11, Applied:25 Sep 2003] A magistrate, by virtue of his or her office and without further commission or authority, is a justice.
(3) A magistrate may exercise and perform, throughout the State, all the jurisdiction, powers, and functions conferred and imposed on magistrates by or under any law of the State.
(4) [Section 13 Subsection (4) amended by No. 65 of 2007, s. 16, Applied:01 Jan 2008] *[Section 13 Subsection (4) amended by No. 13 of 1989, s. 19 and Sched. 1 ]*The fact that a magistrate presides over or sits in a lower court, or exercises a jurisdiction or power, or performs a function, is conclusive evidence of his or her authority to do so.