The Short Title of this Act shall be “The Government Summary Prosecutions Act 1870.”

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in “The Justices of the Peace Act 1866” or any other Act heretofore passed any information or complaint heard in a summary manner before a Justice of the Peace for or in respect of any offence against any of the Acts mentioned in the Schedule may be laid at any time within three years next after the date of the offence committed and not afterwards.

In every case where by any of the Acts mentioned in the said Schedule a money penalty of fixed amount is imposed on any offence and no discretion is given to the Justices before whom proceedings are taken in a summary way for recovery of such penalty to award a penalty less than such fixed amount or to mitigate the penalty it shall be lawful for such Justices in their discretion to impose any penalty not greater than such fixed amount and not less than one-tenth of such fixed amount in the same manner as if in the Act imposing such penalty the words “not more than” had immediately preceded the statement of the amount of every such penalty and the words “and not less than one-tenth of the said amount” had immediately followed the said statement.

Nothing in this Act shall extend to authorize the taking of summary proceedings in respect of any offence or matter as to which the time now limited by law for the taking of summary proceedings has already elapsed.