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(2) The references in sections 31 and 44 of this Act to a single judge are to any judge of the Court of Appeal or of the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court.

46.—(1) Rules made under section 99 of the Supreme Court of Judicature (Consolidation) Act 1925 may make provision with respect to any matter for which provision by rules of court is to be made under Part I or Part II of this Act, and may regulate generally the practice and procedure of the criminal division of the Court of Appeal; and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, rules so made may require courts from which an appeal lies to that division to furnish it with any assistance or information which it may require for the purpose of exercising its jurisdiction.

(2) The Lord Chancellor may appoint two persons appearing to him to have special experience in criminal procedure, one being a practising barrister and one a practising solicitor, to be members of the Rule Committee of the Supreme Court (that is to say, the authority for the time being empowered to make rules under section 99 of the said Act of 1925) for the purpose of the Committee’s power to make rules by virtue of subsection (1) of this section.

47.—(1) The criminal division of the Court of Appeal may at any time assign to an appellant under Part I or Part II of this Act a solicitor and counsel, or counsel only, in his appeal or in proceedings preliminary or incidental thereto, where it appears desirable in the interests of justice that he should have legal aid and that he has not sufficient means to enable him to obtain it.

(2) The registrar shall report to the criminal division of the Court of Appeal, or a judge of the Court of Appeal or of the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court, any case in which it appears to him that, although no application has been made for the purpose, a solicitor and counsel or counsel only ought to be assigned to an appellant under Part I of this Act.

(3) The power of the criminal division of the Court of Appeal to assign legal aid may be exercised by a judge of the Court of Appeal or of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court in the same manner as it may be exercised by the criminal division and subject to the same provisions; but if the judge refuses an application to exercise the power in an appellant's favour, the appellant shall be entitled to have the application determined by the Court.

(4) Where an appellant is to be retried by virtue of an order under section 7 of this Act, section 1 of the Poor Prisoners Defence Act 1930 (entitlement to free legal aid) shall apply in his case as if he had been committed for trial for the offence