Administration of Justice Act 1970

43 Procedure for recovery of legal aid contributions in criminal cases

(1) The appropriate authority for the purposes of section 76 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 (that is to say, the authority to whom a recipient of legal aid in a criminal case may under that section be ordered to pay a contribution towards the costs) shall be the clerk of a magistrates' court (referred to in this section as " the collecting court") specified in the order; and the court so specified shall be—

(a) in a case where the court making the legal aid contribution order is itself a magistrates' court, that court;

(b) in a case where the order is made on the disposal of an appeal from a magistrates' court, or in respect of a person who was committed (whether for trial or otherwise) by a magistrates' court to assizes or quarter sessions, the court from which the appeal is brought or, as the case may be, which committed him ; and

(c) in any other case, a magistrates' court nominated by the court making the order.

(2) Subject to subsection (5) below, any sum required to be paid by a legal aid contribution order shall be recoverable as if it had been adjudged to be paid by an order of the collecting court, subject to and in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 10 to this Act (being provisions which mainly apply the same enforcement procedure as for maintenance orders).

(3) Without prejudice to subsection (2) above, but subject to the following subsections, payment of any sum required to be paid by a legal aid contribution order shall be enforceable by the High Court or a county court (otherwise than by issue of a writ of fieri facias or other process against goods or by imprisonment or attachment of earnings) as if the sum were due to the clerk of the collecting court in pursuance of a judgment or order of the High Court or county court, as the case may be.

(4) The last foregoing subsection shall not authorise the enforcement by a county court of payment of any sum exceeding the limit for the time being in force under section 40 of the [1959 c. 22.] County Courts Act 1959 on the amount of any penalty recoverable by statute in a county court.

(5) Where a legal aid contribution order has been made by the Courts-Martial Appeal Court in respect of a member of Her Majesty's armed forces and the Secretary of State notifies the collecting court that any sum payable under the order will be recovered by deductions from the person's pay in pursuance of one of the enactments amended by subsection (6) below, the collecting court shall not enforce payment of any such sum unless and until the Secretary of State subsequently notifies it that the person is no longer a member of those forces and that the sum has not been fully recovered.

(6) In section 150(1) of the [1955 c. 18.] Army Act 1955 and section 150(1) of the [1955 c. 19.] Air Force Act 1955 (enforcement by deduction from service-man's pay of certain orders made by civil courts), after paragraph (c) there shall be inserted—

“(d) a contribution towards the costs of legal aid ordered for him, under Part IV of the [1967 c. 80.] Criminal Justice Act 1967, for the purpose of, or in connection with, an appeal to or from the Courts-Martial Appeal Court”;

and in section 1(1) of the [1947 c. 24.] Naval Forces (Enforcement of Maintenance Liabilities) Act 1947 (which enables maintenance payments due from a person in naval or marine service to be recovered by deductions from pay), after paragraph (b) there shall be inserted—

“(c) for the payment of any contribution towards the costs of legal aid ordered for him, under Part IV of the Criminal Justice Act 1967, for the purpose of, or in connection with, an appeal to or from the Courts-Martial Appeal Court.”

(7) The clerk of the collecting court shall not take proceedings by virtue of subsection (3) above to recover any sum required to be paid by a legal aid contribution order unless authorised to do so by the court.

(8) Any expenses incurred by the clerk of a magistrates' court in recovering any sum so required to be paid shall be treated for the purposes of Part IV of the [1949 c. 101.] Justices of the Peace Act 1949 as expenses of the magistrates' court committee.

(9) Nothing in this section applies to a legal aid contribution order made before the day appointed under section 54 of this Act for the coming into force of this section ; and in relation to such an order the enactments in force immediately before that day and relating to the enforcement of such an order shall continue to apply notwithstanding any repeal effected by this Act, without prejudice however to section 13(6) of this Act.

(10) In this section " legal aid contribution order " means an order under section 76 of the [1967 c. 80.] Criminal Justice Act 1967.