Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 (c. 43)

Part II E+W Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure

Jurisdiction to issue summons and deal with complaints E+W

51 Issue of summons on complaint. E+W

Subject to the provisions of this Act, where a complaint is made to a justice of the peace acting for any petty sessions area upon which a magistrates’ court acting for that area has power to make an order against any person, the justice may issue a summons directed to that person requiring him to appear before a magistrates’ court acting for that area to answer to the complaint.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 51 applied (with modifications) (1.4.1997) by S.I. 1997/704, rule 5(2)(3)(4)(a)

52 Jurisdiction to deal with complaints. E+W

Where no express provision is made by any Act or the rules specifying what magistrates’ courts shall have jurisdiction to hear a complaint, a magistrates’ court shall have such jurisdiction if the complaint relates to anything done within the commission area for which the court is appointed or anything left undone that ought to have been done there, or ought to have been done either there or elsewhere, or relates to any other matter arising within that area.

In this section “commission area” has the same meaning as in the M1 Justices of the Peace Act 1979.

Marginal Citations

M1 1979 c. 55.