The defendant appealed against his conviction for contempt of court. He had failed to appear as a witness in answer to his summons.
Held: The better practice where it appeared that a witness would in fact attend voluntarily was for the court to direct officers not to execute the warrant unless necessary. The former practice of directing that it be executed only at the court should be discontinued. A court could also back the warrant for bail.
Lord Justice Hughes, Mrs Justice Dobbs and Judge Pert, QC
[2008] EWCA Crim 1921
Bailii, Times
Administration of Justice Act 1960 13
England and Wales
Updated: 05 August 2021; Ref: scu.273126
