(1) A competent court
hearing proceedings shall not award costs, unless —
(a) all
parties to the proceedings were represented by legal practitioners; or
(b) it
is of the opinion that there are special circumstances justifying the award of
costs.
(2) Where a party to
the proceedings has paid a fee under section 18(1), nothing in subsection (1)
is to be taken to prevent a court making an order which requires any other
party to the proceedings to pay to the first-mentioned party the amount of
that fee.
[Section 24 amended: No. 50 of 1988 s. 18; No. 59
of 1995 s. 45; No. 59 of 2004 s. 120(2) and (3) and 121; No. 9 of 2022 s.
424.]