25 However, the second point raised by the first defendant is not one just of form, but, rather, one of substance. Notwithstanding that neither defendant sought to press that argument before me in oral submissions, nonetheless the nature of the point made by the first defendant, in its written submission, is, I consider, one which goes to the heart of the current application. Essentially, the doctrine of abuse of process describes the inherent (or in some cases implied) power of a court or tribunal to protect its own judicial processes from abuse. Ordinarily, the doctrine is invoked before the court whose processes, it is alleged, are the subject of the relevant apprehended abuse. However, and in any event, it is the judicial process which is the subject of the doctrine of abuse of process. In invoking its power to prevent such an abuse, the court is thereby preventing an abuse of its judicial processes, or, where it is acting on review, the judicial processes of an inferior court or tribunal. Thus, the doctrine of abuse of process does not extend to providing relief in relation to non-judicial, ministerial, functions of a court or of an inferior court or tribunal. It is now well established that committal proceedings constitute the exercise by a magistrate of a ministerial, and not judicial, process. Thus, it necessarily follows that the doctrine of abuse of process does not apply, and may not be invoked, where a magistrates' court is exercising its powers to conduct a committal proceeding.