Where a complaint has been made by a Public Prosecutor to a lay magistrate F2... that a person has, or is suspected of having, committed a summary offence F2..., the Public Prosecutor may issue a summons directed to that person requiring that person to appear before F1a magistrates' court to answer to the complaint.

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Where a Public Prosecutor has made a complaint to a lay magistrate F4... that a person has, or is suspected of having, committed an indictable offence F4... the Public Prosecutor may issue a summons requiring that person to appear F5before a magistrates' court.

Where a Public Prosecutor is satisfied that a summons issued under subsection (1) has not been served, the Public Prosecutor may, without a complaint being made to a lay magistrate, re-issue the summons extending the time for the appearance of the person summoned.

Any existing statutory provision which applies to a complaint made or summons issued under paragraph (1), (2), (3) or (4A) of Article 20 of the Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 shall apply (with appropriate modifications) to a complaint made or summons issued by a Public Prosecutor under the corresponding subsection of this section.

In this section “Public Prosecutor” has the meaning given in section 29(5) of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002.