Criminal Procedure Act 1986

Professional costs are not to be awarded in favour of an accused person in summary proceedings unless the court is satisfied as to any one or more of the following—

that the investigation into the alleged offence was conducted in an unreasonable or improper manner,

that the proceedings were initiated without reasonable cause or in bad faith or were conducted by the prosecutor in an improper manner,

that the prosecutor unreasonably failed to investigate (or to investigate properly) any relevant matter of which it was aware or ought reasonably to have been aware and which suggested either that the accused person might not be guilty or that, for any other reason, the proceedings should not have been brought,

that, because of other exceptional circumstances relating to the conduct of the proceedings by the prosecutor, it is just and reasonable to award professional costs.

This section does not apply to the awarding of costs against a prosecutor acting in a private capacity.

A person who, under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979, is an appointed officer employed by an approved charitable organisation is taken not to be acting in a private capacity if the officer acts as the prosecutor in any proceedings under that Act or section 9 (1) of the Veterinary Practice Act 2003.