Section 77

When any person appears or is brought before a Magistrate in compliance with a summons or in execution of a warrant issued under section 75, the Magistrate shall proceed to inquire into the truth of the information on which he has acted and to take such further evidence as may be necessary.

When any person has been arrested without warrant and brought before a Magistrate for the purpose of being bound over either to keep the peace or to be of good behaviour, the Magistrate shall, instead of requiring him to show cause, explain to such person the purport and object of the inquiry and shall take such evidence as may be produced on either part.

An inquiry under this section shall be made as nearly as may be practicable in the manner hereinafter prescribed for conducting summary trials before Magistrates except that no charge need be framed.

For the purposes of this section, the fact that a person is a habitual offender may be proved by evidence of general repute or otherwise.