They existed in the judiciaries of the United Kingdom and those of several former British territories, where they sat in the lowest-level criminal courts.
There was also a Chief Metropolitan Stipendiary Magistrate for London, with additional administrative duties.
In the modern criminal court, district judges and magistrates possess equal powers.
Under the Act any stipendiary magistrates in post on implementation of the legislation became summary sheriffs and transferred unless they declined appointment.
Stipendiary magistrates exercised the same powers as a sheriff (judge) when dealing with summary criminal cases.