Magistrates' Courts Act 1980
The Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a consolidation Act. It codifies the procedures applicable in the magistrates' courts of England and Wales and largely replaces the Magistrates' Courts Act 1952. Part I of the Act sets out provisions in relation to the courts' criminal jurisdiction, and Part II in relation to civil proceedings.
Section 1 of the Act empowers a justice of the peace to issue a summons or arrest warrant alleging the commission of a crime against an identifiable person.
