Page:Contempt of Court Act 1981.pdf/8

6c. 49 13.—(1) In any case where a person is liable to be committed or fined—
 * (a) by a magistrates’ court under section 12 of this Act;
 * (b) by a county court under section 30, 127 or 157 of the County Courts Act 1959; or
 * (c) by any superior court for contempt in the face of that or any other court,

the court may order that he shall be given legal aid for the purposes of the proceedings.

(2) Where an order under subsection (1) is made by any court, the court may order that the legal aid to be given shall consist of representation by counsel only or, in any court where solicitors have a right of audience, by a solicitor only; and the court may assign for the purpose any counsel or solicitor who is within the precincts of the court at the time when the order is made.

(3) Part II of the Legal Aid Act 1974 shall have effect subject to the amendments set out in Part I of Schedule 2, being amendments consequential on the foregoing provisions of this section.

(4) In any case where a person is liable to be dealt with for contempt of court during the course of or in connection with Scottish proceedings he may be given legal aid, and the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1967 shall have effect subject to the amendments set out in Part II of Schedule 2.

(5) This section is without prejudice to any other enactment by virtue of which legal aid may be granted in or for purposes of civil or criminal proceedings. Penalties for contempt and kindred offences

14.—(1) In any case where a court has power to commit a person to prison for contempt of court and (apart from this provision) no limitation applies to the period of committal, the committal shall (without prejudice to the power of the court to order his earlier discharge) be for a fixed term, and that term shall not on any occasion exceed two years in the case of committal by a superior court, or one month in the case of committal by an inferior court.

(2) In any case where an inferior court has power to fine a person for contempt of court and (apart from this provision) no limit applies to the amount of the fine, the fine shall not on any occasion exceed £500.

(3) In relation to the exercise of jurisdiction to commit for contempt of court or any kindred offence, subsection (1) of section 19 of the Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973 (prohibition of imprisonment of persons under seventeen years of age)