Victorian Current Acts Victorian Current Acts(1) Subject to subsection (2), the Magistrates' Court must ensure that any charge, as set out in the charge-sheet, is read to the accused or its substance is explained to the accused before the accused is asked to plead to the charge.
(2) It is not necessary that a charge be read, or its substance explained, to an accused who is represented by a legal practitioner if the Magistrates' Court considers it appropriate not to do so.