Page:Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980.pdf/9

c. 431

1980 CHAPTER 43 An Act to consolidate certain enactments relating to the jurisdiction of, and the practice and procedure before, magistrates’ courts and the functions of justices' clerks, and to matters connected therewith, with amendments to give effect to recommendations of the Law Commission.

by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Jurisdiction to issue process and deal with charges

1.—(1) Upon an information being laid before a justice of the peace for an area to which this section applies that any person has, or is suspected of having, committed an offence, the justice may, in any of the events mentioned in subsection (2) below, but subject to subsections (3) to (5) below,—
 * (a) issue a summons directed to that person requiring him to appear before a magistrates’ court for the area to answer to the information, or
 * (b) issue a warrant to arrest that person and bring him before a magistrates’ court for the area or such magistrates’ court as is provided in subsection (5) below.