Under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, the term "Magistrate" refers to:

Section 2(i) defines Magistrate as "the Judicial Magistrate of the first class, or as the case may be, the Metropolitan Magistrate" exercising jurisdiction under the CrPC in the area where the aggrieved person resides, the respondent resides or the violence is alleged to have taken place. A second-class or Executive Magistrate is not included, and Metropolitan Magistrates are only one of the two kinds.