The legal elements of the offence of polluting waters contrary to s 16(1) of the Clean Waters Act 1970 are: (a) a polluting, (b) by a person, (c) of any waters. The particular manner in which the defendant is alleged to have polluted the waters is an essential factual ingredient, not a legal element, and its omission from a summons is curable by s 43 of the Land and Environment Court Act 1979. A charge that alleges all three legal elements describes an offence known to law and vests the court with jurisdiction.
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