In Sri Lanka, a Justice of the Peace and Unofficial magistrate (also known as Acting magistrate) is a judicial appointment made by the Minister of Justice to a particular jurisdiction under the Judicature Act No 02 of 1978.
An Unofficial magistrate is a senior Attorney at law (with 15 years or more practice), who is a Justice of the Peace and has the powers and authority vested in a Magistrate except the power to hear, try, or determine civil or criminal cases.
Persons appointed as Unofficial magistrates may use the post-nominal JP, UM.
[3] Under the provisions of the Municipal Councils Ordinance, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of a Municipal Council are ex-official Justice of the Peace and Unofficial magistrate for the administrative district in which the Municipality is situated.
[4] Although unofficial magistrates have the power to grant bail, accusations have been made that certain lawyers presiding as unofficial magistrates have granted bail to their clients.