Were the powers of a magistrate limited or unlimited and why?

Answer 1

What country? What time period?

Without further specification, we cannot answer this question accurately. "Were" can be interpreted in many ways.

What I can account for is that, currently, in the United States, the powers of a Magistrate are limited. A Magistrate in the U.S is similar to a judge; however, the magistrate does not have the power to convict or hold a standard trial.

The reasoning behind this is that a traditional judge is required to possess a Juris Doctorate, and have a high understanding of law, while a magistrate can be an ordinary citizen.