The Attorney-General may be joined as a party to civil contempt proceedings brought by a private litigant under Rule 9.06(b)(ii) of the Supreme Court Rules where the Attorney-General demonstrates sufficient interest, particularly where the contempt has a public dimension and there is a risk that the private litigant may not prosecute the proceedings to conclusion. The court retains power to manage the proceedings to prevent oppression to the defendant from facing two prosecutors. Lord Diplock's comments in Attorney-General v Times Newspapers Ltd about the Attorney-General's role apply to criminal, not civil, contempt.
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