HL Deb 27 July 1967 vol 285 cc1123-5

After Cause 23, insert the following new clause—

Extension of Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1952

(".—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section the Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1952 shall apply to proceedings for dealing with an offender under section 6, 8 or 9 of the Criminal Justice Act 1948 (probation orders and orders for conditional discharge), and to proceedings under section 31(1) of this Act for dealing with an offender in respect of a suspended sentence, as if the offender had been tried in those proceedings for the offence for which the order was made or the sentence passed.

(2) The provisions of the said Act of 1952 other than section 6 (costs as between parties) shall apply with all necessary modifications to proceedings in which it is alleged that an offender required on conviction of an indictable offence to enter into a recognizance to keep the peace or be of good behaviour has failed to comply with a condition of that recognizance, as if that failure were an indictable offence committed in the same place as the offence of which he was convicted.

(3) Where any proceedings mentioned in either of the foregoing subsections take place before a court of assize or quarter sessions and the fund out of which the costs of those proceedings fall to be paid by virtue of that subsection is maintained by a local authority other than the authority for the local government area in which that court is held, those costs shall—

  1. (a) be paid in the first instance by the local authority for that area; and
  2. (b) be recoverable, together with such sum (if any) in respect of the expenses of holding that court as may be determined in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 18(3) of the Criminal Justice Administration Act 1962 (contributions to certain costs), from the local authority maintaining that fund.

(4) Where proceedings under section 8 of the Criminal Justice Act 1948 for dealing with an offender subject to a probation order or an order for conditional discharge, or under section 31(1) of this Act for dealing with an offender in respect of a suspended sentence take place before a court of assize or quarter sessions before which the offender is convicted of an indictable offence committed during the operational period of the sentence, or by which he is sentenced for any such offence after being committed for sentence to that court, the costs of those proceedings shall be treated for the purposes of the Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1952 as part of the costs of the proceedings in which he was convicted or sentenced.

(5) Where any proceedings mentioned in subsection (1) of this section take place before a magistrates' court and relate to an order made or a sentence passed for an offence committed outside the local government area for which are for part of which that court acts, the offence shall be treated for the purposes of section 7(1) of the said Act of 1952 (local funds out of which costs are to be paid) as having been committed in that area.

(6) In this section 'local authority' means the council of a county or county borough or the Greater London Council, 'local government area' means a county, county borough or Greater London and 'operational period' has the same meaning as in Part II of this Act.")

The Commons agreed to this Amendment but proposed the following Amendments thereto.

[No. 2.] Line 32, leave out from ("proceedings") to ("under") in line 34 and insert ("for dealing with an offender under section 8 of the Criminal Justice Act 1948 (commission of further offences by probationers and persons conditionally discharged) or proceedings.")

[No. 3.] Line 38, after ("during") insert ("the period of probation or conditional discharge or".)

LORD STONHAM

My Lords, with permission, I beg to move that the House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 2 and 3 to the Lords' Amendment. These are two Amendments to a Government clause which was inserted in the Bill in your Lordships' House and which the Commons accept but to which they have made these two drafting Amendments. Subsection (4) of the clause deals with the costs of proceedings in which an offender subject to a probation order or order of conditional discharge is dealt with for the original offence or in which an offender is dealt with in respect of a suspended sentence by a court of assize or quarter sessions which has convicted the offender of an indictable offence or sentenced him for such an offence committed during the operational period of a sentence. The words "operational period of a sentence" are appropriate only to a suspended sentence and it is necessary to refer in addition to an offence committed during the period of probation or conditional discharge.

Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendments.—(Lord Stonham.)

LORD BROOKE OF CUMNOR

My Lords, we on this side of the House see no objection to the Government in another place taking steps to make further Amendments to a Government new clause which they inserted themselves in your Lordships' House.

On Question, Motion agreed to.