Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

   5. A person duly commissioned to hold courts, or to try and
      decide controversies and administer justice.

   Note: This title is given to the judges of the common law
         courts in England and in the United States, and extends
         to judicial officers and magistrates of every grade.

   {Bed of justice}. See under {Bed}.

   {Chief justice}. See in the Vocabulary.

   {Justice of the peace} (Law), a judicial officer or
      subordinate magistrate appointed for the conservation of
      the peace in a specified district, with other incidental
      powers specified in his commission. In the United States a
      justice of the peace has jurisdiction to adjudicate
      certain minor cases, commit offenders, etc.

   Syn: Equity; law; right; rectitude; honesty; integrity;
        uprightness; fairness; impartiality.

   Usage: {Justice}, {Equity}, {Law}. Justice and equity are the
          same; but human laws, though designed to secure
          justice, are of necessity imperfect, and hence what is
          strictly legal is at times far from being equitable or
          just. Here a court of equity comes in to redress the
          grievances. It does so, as distinguished from courts
          of law; and as the latter are often styled courts of
          justice, some have fancied that there is in this case
          a conflict between justice and equity. The real
          conflict is against the working of the law; this a
          court of equity brings into accordance with the claims
          of justice. It would be an unfortunate use of language
          which should lead any one to imagine he might have
          justice on his side while practicing iniquity
          (inequity). {Justice}, {Rectitude}. Rectitude, in its
          widest sense, is one of the most comprehensive words
          in our language, denoting absolute conformity to the
          rule of right in principle and practice. Justice
          refers more especially to the carrying out of law, and
          has been considered by moralists as of three kinds:
          (1) Commutative justice, which gives every man his own
          property, including things pledged by promise. (2)
          Distributive justice, which gives every man his exact
          deserts. (3) General justice, which carries out all
          the ends of law, though not in every case through the
          precise channels of commutative or distributive
          justice; as we see often done by a parent or a ruler
          in his dealings with those who are subject to his
          control.

Peace \Peace\, n. [OE. pees, pais, OF. pais, paiz, pes, F. paix,
   L. pax, pacis, akin to pacere, paciscere, pacisci, to make an
   agreement, and prob. also pangere to fasten. Cf. {Appease},
   {Fair}, a., {Fay}, v., {Fang}, {Pacify}, {Pact}, {Pay} to
   requite.]
   A state of quiet or tranquillity; freedom from disturbance or
   agitation; calm; repose; specifically:
   (a) Exemption from, or cessation of, war with public enemies.
   (b) Public quiet, order, and contentment in obedience to law.
   (c) Exemption from, or subjection of, agitating passions;
       tranquillity of mind or conscience.
   (d) Reconciliation; agreement after variance; harmony;
       concord. ``The eternal love and pees.'' --Chaucer.

   Note: Peace is sometimes used as an exclamation in commanding
         silence, quiet, or order. ``Peace! foolish woman.''
         --Shak.

   {At peace}, in a state of peace.

   {Breach of the peace}. See under {Breach}.

   {Justice of the peace}. See under {Justice}.

   {Peace of God}. (Law)
   (a) A term used in wills, indictments, etc., as denoting a
       state of peace and good conduct.
   (b) (Theol.) The peace of heart which is the gift of God.

   {Peace offering}.
   (a) (Jewish Antiq.) A voluntary offering to God in token of
       devout homage and of a sense of friendly communion with
       Him.
   (b) A gift or service offered as satisfaction to an offended
       person.

   {Peace officer}, a civil officer whose duty it is to preserve
      the public peace, to prevent riots, etc., as a sheriff or
      constable.

   {To hold one's peace}, to be silent; to refrain from
      speaking.

   {To make one's peace with}, to reconcile one with, to plead
      one's cause with, or to become reconciled with, another.
      ``I will make your peace with him.'' --Shak.

Source : WordNet®

justice of the peace
     n : a local magistrate with limited powers