Allowing the appeal: (I) by the provisions of sections 22 and 29 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1960 (Act 30) before any person could be bound over to keep the peace or be of good behaviour, the law mandatorily required that the magistrate should as far as practicable as in a trial, inquire into the truth of the allegations against those persons by hearing both sides of the case. Thus, a bond order amounted to a conviction within the meaning of section 19(1) and (2) of the Courts Act, 1972 (Act 372)­re-enacted as section 45(3) and (4) of the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459). In the instant case, the failure of the circuit judge to inquire into the truth of the allegations not only amounted to denying the appellants of their fundamental human rights but also violated the principle of audi alteram pOl·tem and thereby occasioned a grave miscarriage of justice within the meaning of section 406 of Act 30 and section 31 (2) of Act 459. Accor­dingly, the circuit court’s orders were void and would be vacated. Accordingly, the High Court’s order confirming those orders was also made in error and would be vacated.