The County Court Rules 1981

ORDER 34PENAL AND DISCIPLINARY PROVISIONS

Issue and service of summons for offence under s. 30, 31, 127 or 164 of the Act

1.  Where—

(a)it is alleged that any person has committed an offence under section 30 or 127 of the Act by assaulting an officer of the court while in the execution of his duty, or by rescuing or attempting to rescue any goods seized in execution, and the alleged offender has not been taken into custody and brought before the judge, or

(b)any officer of the court is charged under section 31 of the Act with extortion or other misconduct, or

(c)a complaint is made against an officer of the court under section 164 of the Act for having lost the opportunity of levying execution,

the proper officer shall issue a summons, which shall be served on the alleged offender personally not less than 8 days before the return day appointed in the summons.

Notice to show cause before or after fine under s. 84 of the Act

2.  Before or after imposing a fine on any person under section 84 of the Act for disobeying a witness summons or refusing to be sworn or give evidence, the judge may direct the proper officer to give to that person notice that if he has any cause to show why a fine should not be or should not have been imposed on him, he may show cause in person or by affidavit or otherwise on a day named in the notice, and the judge after considering the cause shown may make such order as he thinks fit.

Non-payment of fine

3.—(1) If a fine is not paid in accordance with the order imposing it, the proper officer shall forthwith report the matter to the judge.

(2) Where by an order imposing a fine, the amount of the fine is directed to be paid by instalments and default is made in the payment of any instalment, the same proceedings may be taken as if default had been made in payment of the whole of the fine.

(3) If the judge makes an order for payment of a fine to be enforced by warrant of execution, the order shall be treated as an application made to the registrar for the issue of the warrant at the time when the order was received by him.

Repayment of fine

4.  If, after a fine has been paid, the person on whom it was imposed shows cause sufficient to satisfy the judge that, if it had been shown at an earlier date, he would not have imposed a fine or would have imposed a smaller fine or would not have ordered payment to be enforced, the judge may order the fine or any part thereof to be repaid.