Judicial officer:is a person with responsibilities and powers to facilate, arbitrate, preside over, and make decisions and directions in regard to the application of laws.

A judicial officer's level of responsibility and power can vary.

Judicial officers are typically categorised as:

Judges
Magistrates
Justices of the Peace (JP) or inferior jurisdiction judges
Notary public or Commissioner of Oaths
A judicial officer's powers are usually constrained to be applicable within a defined jurisdiction.

While there is range in the level of powers of a judicial officer, the boundaries between these and the names given to them vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

While judicial officer refers to an individual, collectively, and the structured system they are part of, are often referred to as the judiciary.

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