Form and requisites of complaint

(1) No complaint need be in writing, unless it is required to be so by the statute on which it is founded or by some other statute, but if a complaint is not made in writing, the clerk shall reduce it into writing. (2) Subject to the provisions of section 29 of this Act every complaint may, unless some statute otherwise requires, be made without any oath being made of the truth thereof. (3) A complaint may be made by the complainant in person, or by his attorney-at-law, or by any person authorised in writing in that behalf, and shall be for one offence only. (4) Every complaint, information, summons, warrant or other document laid, issued or made for the purpose of or in connection with any proceedings before a court of summary jurisdiction for an offence shall be sufficient if it contains a statement of the specific offence with which the accused person is charged together with such particulars as may be necessary for giving reasonable information as to the nature of the charge. (5) The statement of the offence shall describe the offence shortly in ordinary language, avoiding as far as possible the use of technical terms, and without necessarily stating all the essential elements of the offence, and if the offence charged is one created by statute, shall contain a reference to the section of the statute creating the offence. (6) After the statement of the offence, necessary particulars of the offence shall be set out in ordinary language, in which the use of technical terms shall not be required. 18 (7) Any information, complaint, summons, warrant or other document to which this section applies which is in such form as would have been sufficient in law if this Act had not passed shall, notwithstanding anything in this section, continue to be sufficient in law.