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Magistrates: they are members of the public who voluntarily give up their time to preside over magistrates' courts. They need have no formal legal qualifications, although they are trained in court procedures.

Magistrates' Court: the magistrates’ courts are a key part of the criminal justice system – virtually all criminal cases start in a magistrates’ court and over 95% of cases are also completed here. In addition, magistrates’ courts deal with many civil cases, mostly family matters plus liquor licensing and betting and gaming work. Cases in the magistrates’ courts are usually heard by panels of three magistrates (Justices of the Peace), of which there are around 30 000 in England and Wales.

Master of the Rolls (MoR): the Master of the Rolls is one of the Heads of Division. He or she is also the leading judge dealing with the civil work of the Court of Appeal, presiding over the most difficult and sensitive cases. As a Head of Division and Member of the Privy Council, the Master of the Rolls is given the prefix 'Right Honourable'.

Mediation: process taking place outside a court to resolve a dispute.

Middle Temple: one of the four Inns of Court based in London which every barrister in England and Wales must belong to before they are called to the Bar.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ): the Ministry of Justice was established on the 9th May 2007. It has responsibility for the courts, sentencing, prisons, rehabilitation plus former DCA policies like voting, crown dependencies, human rights, tribunals and freedom of information.

Mitigating: arguments made on behalf of a defendant who has admitted or been found guilty of an offence, in order to excuse or partly excuse the offence committed and attempt to minimise the sentence.