Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978

59 Award of costs

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act and to rules of court and to the express provisions of any other statutory provision, the costs of and incidental to all proceedings in the High Court and the Court of Appeal, including the administration of estates and trusts, shall be in the discretion of the court and the court shall have power to determine by whom and to what extent the costs are to be paid.

(2) Save as otherwise provided by any statutory provision passed after this Act or by rules of court, if damages or other relief awarded could have been obtained in proceedings commenced in the county court, the plaintiff shall not, except for special cause shown and mentioned in the judgment making the award, recover more costs than would have been recoverable had the same relief been awarded by the county court.

(3) Where any statutory provision whether passed before or after the commencement of this Act confers jurisdiction on the High Court or any judge thereof in regard to any matter without expressly conferring jurisdiction to award or deal otherwise with the costs of the proceedings connected with that matter, subsection (1) shall apply so as to authorise the court or judge, in its or his discretion, to award and deal with such costs.

(4) Nothing in this section shall alter the practice in any criminal cause or matter.