§ 151 — Examination of complaint

151.—(1) Any person may make a complaint to a Magistrate.(2) On receiving a complaint by a person who is not a police officer nor an officer from a law enforcement agency nor a person acting with the authority of a public body, the Magistrate —(a)

must immediately examine the complainant on oath and the substance of the examination must be reduced to writing and must be signed by the complainant and by the Magistrate; and

(b)

may, after examining the complainant —(i)

for the purpose of inquiring into the case himself or herself, issue a summons to compel the attendance before him or her of any person who may be able to help him or her determine whether there is sufficient ground for proceeding with the complaint;

(ii)

direct any police officer to make inquiries for the purpose of ascertaining the truth or falsehood of the complaint and report to the Magistrate the result of those inquiries;

(iii)

proceed in accordance with section 15 of the Community Mediation Centres Act 1997; or

(iv)

postpone consideration of the matter to enable the complainant and the person complained against to try to resolve the complaint amicably.

—(1) Any person may make a complaint to a Magistrate.

(2) On receiving a complaint by a person who is not a police officer nor an officer from a law enforcement agency nor a person acting with the authority of a public body, the Magistrate —(a)

must immediately examine the complainant on oath and the substance of the examination must be reduced to writing and must be signed by the complainant and by the Magistrate; and

(b)

may, after examining the complainant —(i)

for the purpose of inquiring into the case himself or herself, issue a summons to compel the attendance before him or her of any person who may be able to help him or her determine whether there is sufficient ground for proceeding with the complaint;

(ii)

direct any police officer to make inquiries for the purpose of ascertaining the truth or falsehood of the complaint and report to the Magistrate the result of those inquiries;

(iii)

proceed in accordance with section 15 of the Community Mediation Centres Act 1997; or

(iv)

postpone consideration of the matter to enable the complainant and the person complained against to try to resolve the complaint amicably.