The Laws of Zambia PART IV TAXATION OF COSTS 16. The registrar of the High Court shall be the Taxing Officer for the purpose of taxing a bill of costs of a legal practitioner, and in the taxation of costs shall comply with such instructions as may from time to time be given to him by the High Court for that purpose. Registrar of Tribunal to be Taxing Officer 17. (1) With a view to affording the party who has been awarded an order for costs a full indemnity for all costs reasonably incurred by him in relation to his application or opposition, and to ensure that all such costs shall be borne by the party against whom such order has been awarded by the High Court, the Taxing Officer shall on every taxation allow all such costs, charges and expenses as appear to him to have been necessary or proper for the attainment of justice or for defending the rights of any party, but, save as against the party who incurred the same, no costs shall be allowed which appear to the Taxing Officer to have been incurred or increased through over-caution, negligence or mistake, or by payment of a special fee to counsel, unless the High Court otherwise orders, or special charges and expenses to witnesses or other persons or by other unusual expenses. Necessary and proper costs to be allowed (2) Upon the taxation of costs the Taxing Officer may, in determining the remuneration to be allowed, have regard to the skill, labour and responsibility involved, If, on having regard to the said matters, the Taxing Officer considers that there are special reasons why costs in excess of those prescribed in the Second Schedule should be allowed, he may, in respect of any particular application made or business done, allow such costs as seem to him reasonable and shall certify his decision in writing. (3) Any person aggrieved by the charges made by any legal practitioner in respect of work performed by him under the provisions of the Act may refer such charges to the Taxing Officer for taxation. 18. In the taxation of costs the Taxing Officer shall be guided, as far as the circumstances of each particular case will permit, by the scale of fees prescribed in Part IV of the Second Schedule. In addition to these charges, all disbursements shall be separately charged and shall be allowed by the Taxing Officer when reasonable. Scale of fees to be followed 19. (1) Witnesses requiring payment shall be paid for their attendance and travelling in accordance with the tariff prescribed in Part II of the Second Schedule. Witnesses' charges and allowances (2) The charges for witnesses as fixed by tariff are to be considered as payable to the witness by the party who summoned or produced him and, in the event of any such party being awarded his costs against any other party, the said charges shall be allowed against such other party in the taxation of costs. Copyright Ministry of Legal Affairs, Government of the Republic of Zambia