Legal aid

The appellant had appeared before the county court without representation and was committed to prison for contempt of court for breaches of injunctions. The Court of Appeal, Civil Division, in allowing the appellant’s appeal, held, among other things, that the relevant legislation meant that a qualifying individual should receive public funding for legal representation on committal applications in the county court and that, there was a power reposed in the Director of the Legal Aid Agency to grant such representation. In the circumstances, the committal order and the factual findings upon which it was based would be quashed.