Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988

59 Notification of court and date of trial in England and Wales

(1) On an occasion when a person is given a fixed penalty notice under section 54 of this Act in respect of an offence, he may be given written notification specifying the magistrates' court by which and the date on which the offence will be tried if he gives notice requesting a hearing in respect of the offence as permitted by the fixed penalty notice.

(2) Subject to subsections (4) and (5) below, where—

(a) a person has been notified in accordance with this section of the court and date of trial of an offence in respect of which he has been given a fixed penalty notice, and

(b) he has given notice requesting a hearing in respect of the offence as permitted by the fixed penalty notice,

the provisions of the [1980 c. 43.] Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 shall apply as mentioned in subsection (3) below.

(3) Those provisions are to have effect for the purpose of any proceedings in respect of that offence as if—

(a) the allegation in the fixed penalty notice with respect to that offence were an information duly laid in accordance with section 1 of that Act, and

(b) the notification of the court and date of trial were a summons duly issued on that information by a justice of the peace for the area for which the magistrates' court notified as the court of trial acts, requiring the person notified to appear before that court to answer to that information and duly served on him on the date on which the notification was given.

(4) If, in a case within subsection (2) above, notice is served by or on behalf of the chief officer of police on the person who gave notice requesting a hearing stating that no proceedings are to be brought in respect of the offence concerned, that subsection does not apply and no such proceedings are to be brought against the person who gave notice requesting a hearing.

(5) Section 14 of that Act (proceedings invalid where accused did not know of them) is not applied by subsection (2) above in a case where a person has been notified in accordance with this section of the court and date of trial of an offence.

(6) This section does not extend to Scotland.