- Langan 281, Hampton 60), jurisdiccional refers to its functions as an ordinary court of justice and económico refers to its overall husbandry of the machinery of justice; note 6 F compétent à connaître de ... E competent to try .../exercise jurisdiction over ... - having cognizance of ... S competente para conocer de ... E complaint 1. (civ. proc: EN, US) procedural step: formal statement whereby proceedings are begun, consisting of an allegation made by an aggrieved person claiming that a wrong has been done and seeking relief for it A complaint is made to the court, magistrate or other officer receiving it EN; may be oral or written and is used in magistrates' courts only; see E note to demande.initials; PH, US: used in all courts; US: is the plaintiff's first pleading and thus the first pleading in a civil action; EN OCL, Osbom, Arguile 58, MCA 51; PH RC 2,6; US Black, FRCP 1 2. (crim. proc; PH, SCO, US) procedural step; formal statement whereby proceedings are begun, consisting of an allegation that an offence has been committed PH: made by the aggrieved person; SCO: made by a prosecutor, who is usually a procurator-fiscal, to a sheriff and confined to offences of the less serious kind (uon-indictable offences); US: made by a prosecutor, who is ?usually a police officer or district attorney, to a magistrate and available as a means of prosecuting any kind of offence PH RC 110; US FRCRP 3, Black; EN obs. in this sense, but see 3. below; note 1 - 196 - 3. (crim.law: EN) informal allegation, usually made by an aggrieved person to a police officer, that an offence has been committed Baker 1, 208; in the law of evidence, where the complainant is the victim of a sexual offence, the term regeat 