What it means
An adjournment is the postponement of a court or tribunal hearing to another date or time. A party may apply for one, for example because they need more time to prepare or to obtain evidence, but the court has discretion whether to grant it and may impose conditions, including a costs order. Courts balance fairness to the requesting party against the need to deal with cases efficiently and avoid delay.
How it's used
The magistrate granted a short adjournment so the self-represented defendant could obtain legal advice.