If a court laid a charge of contempt of court, legal aid should normally be granted to the defendant. It was wrong, first to hear representations which led to the charge of contempt being withdrawn, and then to decide that legal aid should not be granted because it was no longer necessary. The effect of this practice would be that legal aid would only be available for sentence for contempt. Contempt is a potentially serious matter and a defendant will generally require representation.
Citations:
Gazette 07-Dec-2000, Times 01-Dec-2000
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Legal Aid, Contempt of Court
Updated: 21 October 2022; Ref: scu.88000
