The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word BURGESS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
B
U
R
G
E
S
S
More clues leading to the result BURGESS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Former magistrate/Former magistrate" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case former magistrate/former magistrate = burgess.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BURGESS mean?
BURGESS noun- An inhabitant of a borough with full rights; a citizen.
- A town magistrate.
- A representative of a borough in the Parliament.
- A member of the House of Burgesses, a legislative body in colonial America, established by the Virginia Company to provide civil rule in the colonies.