# Magistrates’ Courts Rules (Northern Ireland) 1984, Rule 6: Wording, etc., of documents

Extent: N.I.

(1) Every complaint, summons, warrant or other document made or issued for the purpose of, or in connection with, any proceedings before a magistrates’ court for an offence shall be sufficient if it describes the specific offence with which the accused is charged, or of which he is convicted, in ordinary language avoiding as far as possible the use of technical terms, and gives such particulars as may be necessary for giving reasonable information as to the nature of the charge.
(2) Every complaint, summons, warrant or other document in proceedings upon complaint in a civil matter shall be sufficient if it describes the cause of complaint in ordinary language without necessarily stating all the facts upon which the complaint is founded and gives such particulars as may be necessary for giving reasonable information as to the nature of the complaint.
(3) If the offence charged or cause of complaint is one created by or under any statutory provision, the description of the defence or cause of complaint shall contain a reference to the section of the Act, or, as the case may be, the rule, order, regulation, bye-law or other instrument giving rise to the offence or the cause of complaint unless such reference appears elsewhere on the face of any summons or warrant issued in respect thereof.
(4) Subject to the foregoing paragraphs, the forms set out in Schedule 1 or forms to the like effect shall, where appropriate, be used in connection with proceedings to which the Rules relate.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/1984/225/rule/6 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/magistrates-courts-rules-northern-ireland-1984/rule-6
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.