Section 14: Criminal proceedings
130.Section 14 defines “criminal proceedings” for the purposes of this Part of the Act and is based on the existing provision at section 12(2) of the Access to Justice Act 1999.
131.“Criminal proceedings” include criminal trials (section 14(a)), sentencing hearings (section 14(b)), extradition hearings (section 14(c)), binding over proceedings (section 14(d)), appeals on behalf of a convicted person who has died (section 14(e)), proceedings on a reference on a point of law following acquittal on indictment (section 14(f)) and proceedings for contempt in the face of a court (section 14(g)). Section 14(h) allows the Lord Chancellor to specify in secondary legislation further types of proceedings that are to be considered to be criminal proceedings for the purposes of this Part of the Act.