The Regional Magistrates' Courts at present only deal with criminal cases whereas the district Magistrates' Courts deal with criminal and civil cases The magistrate makes the decisions in a Magistrate's Court sometimes with the support of lay assessors
Magistrate's Courts can be divided into either criminal courts or civil courts
The Regional Magistrates' Courts deal with more serious cases than the ordinary Magistrates' Courts - for example, murder, rape, armed robbery and serious assault