(1)For subsections (1) and (2) of section 2 of the [1952 c. 48.] Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1952 (power of court of assize or quarter sessions to award costs as between parties) there shall be substituted the following subsection:—
“(1)A court of assize or quarter sessions before which any person is prosecuted or tried on indictment or inquisition—
(a)may, if the accused is convicted, order him to pay the whole or any part of the costs incurred in or about the prosecution and conviction, including any proceedings before the examining justices;
(b)may, if the accused is acquitted, order the prosecutor to pay the whole or any part of the costs incurred in or about the defence, including any proceedings before the examining justices.”
(2)Sections 1 and 5 of the said Act of 1952 (costs awarded by assizes, quarter sessions or magistrates' courts out of local funds), section 8 of the [1966 c. 31.] Criminal Appeal Act 1966 (payment of expenses of witnesses in connection with criminal appeals out of local funds) and paragraph 8 of Schedule 1 to the said Act of 1966 (payment out of moneys provided by Parliament of expenses of witnesses in connection with appeals to the Courts-Martial Appeal Court) shall apply in relation to a registered medical practitioner making a written report to a court in pursuance of a request to which this subsection applies as they apply in relation to a person called to give evidence at the instance of the court, and in the case of a report made in pursuance of such a request made by a magistrates' court shall so apply notwithstanding that the proceedings for the purposes of which the report is made are not proceedings to which the said section 5 applies.
(3)The last foregoing subsection applies to a request to a registered medical practitioner to make a written or oral report on the medical condition of an offender or defendant, being a request made by a court—
(a)for the purpose of determining whether or not to make an order under section 4 of the [1948 c. 58.] Criminal Justice Act 1948 (probation orders requiring treatment for mental condition) or section 60 of the [1959 c. 72.] Mental Health Act 1959 (hospital orders and guardianship orders) or otherwise for the purpose of determining the most suitable method of dealing with an offender; or
(b)in exercise of the powers conferred by section 26 of the [1952 c. 55.] Magistrates' Courts Act 1952 (remand of a defendant for medical examination and requirement of such an examination on committing a defendant for trial on bail).
(4)Sections 1 and 5 of the [1952 c. 48.] Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1952 shall apply to a person properly attending at the instance of the court to give evidence as they apply to a person called to give evidence at the instance of the court.
(5)In section 3(2) of the said Act of 1952 (power of criminal division of Court of Appeal to award costs to be paid out of local funds to a successful appellant) any reference to an appeal against conviction which is allowed shall include a reference to an appeal which is allowed against a special verdict within the meaning of the [1964 c. 84.] Criminal Procedure (Insanity) Act 1964 or a finding that the accused is under disability within the meaning of the said Act of 1964.