When a defendant is present at a hearing in a Court of Summary Jurisdiction, the substance of the complaint must be stated to the defendant personally under s 67 of the Justices Act, and this requirement cannot be dispensed with by counsel entering a plea on the defendant's behalf. Failure to comply with this mandatory requirement renders the conviction liable to be quashed on appeal. As a matter of practice, the charge should be read to the accused on every occasion regardless of representation.
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