A magistrate sits in a panel of three magistrates (also called a lay bench) deciding cases in the youth court and adult magistrates’ court.
In the youth court and adult magistrates’ court, if there is one judge they will be a district judge and not a magistrate.
If there are two or three judges they are magistrates. Magistrates (also known as justices of the peace) are volunteers. The chairman sits in the middle and speaks on behalf of them all.