The Costs in Criminal Cases (General) Regulations 1986

Definitions

15.  In this Part of these Regulations—

“expenses” include compensation to a witness for his trouble or loss of time and out of pocket expenses;

“proceedings in a criminal cause or matter” includes any case in which—

(a)

an information charging the accused with an offence is laid before a justice of the peace for any area but not proceeded with; or

(b)

the accused is committed for trial but not tried;

“professional witness” means a witness practising as a member of the legal or medical profession or as a dentist, veterinary surgeon or accountant who attends to give professional evidence as to matters of fact;

“private prosecutor” means any person in whose favour an order for the payment of costs out of central funds could be made under section 17 of the Act;

“the relevant amount” has the meaning assigned to it by regulation 17;

“witness” means any person properly attending to give evidence, whether or not he gives evidence or is called at the instance of one of the parties or of the court, but does not include—

(a)

a person attending as a witness to character only unless the court has certified that the interests of justice required his attendance;

(b)

a member of a police force attending court in his capacity as such;

(c)

a full-time officer of an institution to which the Prison Act 1952 applies attending court in his capacity as such; or

(d)

a prisoner in respect of any occasion on which he is conveyed to court in custody.