Northern Territory Consolidated Acts Northern Territory Consolidated Acts(1) The hearing of any complaint may be adjourned from time to time, and at any time before it is completed, either:
(a) by the Court before which the complaint comes for hearing; or
(b) if the Court is then sitting to hear the complaint, then by any Justice.
(2) Every such adjournment shall be to a time and place appointed and stated by the Court or the Justice in the presence and hearing of the party or parties then present.
(3) The adjournment shall be allowed upon such (if any) terms as the Court or the Justice thinks fit, and in the meantime the Court or the Justice may remand the defendant into custody, grant him bail in accordance with the Bail Act , or dispense with the requirements for bail pursuant to the Bail Act .
(4) The Court or any Justice may, in any case where the defendant has been remanded into custody, order the defendant to be brought before the Court or Justice or any other Justice for the hearing or the continuation of the hearing at any time before the expiration of the period for which the hearing has been adjourned, and any keeper of the gaol or officer in whose custody the defendant is shall duly obey the order.
(5) If a defendant, who has been released on bail in accordance with the Bail Act or in respect of whom the requirement of bail has been dispensed with pursuant to that Act, fails to appear at the time and place appointed under subsection (2):
(a) the Court then sitting to hear the adjourned complaint or a Justice may issue a warrant for the apprehension of the defendant and further adjourn the hearing until he is apprehended; or
(b) the Court then sitting to hear the adjourned complaint may proceed ex parte to the hearing of the complaint and may adjudicate on the complaint as fully and effectually, to all intents and purposes, as if the defendant had appeared at that time and place.
(6) If the defendant is by virtue of a warrant issued under subsection (5) brought before the Court, the Court shall hear the case or continue the hearing as if there had been no adjournment.
(8) Instead of issuing a warrant as provided in subsection (5), the Court sitting to hear the adjourned complaint or any Justice may issue a summons for the appearance of the defendant at the time and place mentioned in the summons.
(9) If the defendant appears before the Court, the Court shall hear the case or continue hearing as if there had been no adjournment.
(11) If a defendant summoned under subsection (8) fails to appear in obedience to the summons, the Court before which he is summoned may proceed in the manner provided by section 62.
(12) If a defendant appears at the time and place appointed under subsection (2) and the complainant, having had due notice, does not appear in person or by his counsel or solicitor, the Court shall dismiss the complaint, unless for some reason it thinks it proper to further adjourn the hearing.
(13) The Court of Summary Jurisdiction, or a Justice, on being satisfied that a defendant who has been remanded into custody is by reason of illness or accident unable at the expiration of the period for which he was remanded to appear personally before the Court, may in the absence of the defendant order him to be kept in custody for such further period as the Court or Justice deems reasonable, but not exceeding 15 clear days at any one time, unless both parties consent to a longer period.
(14) The warrant for keeping the defendant in custody pursuant to any such order may be issued by the Justice who made the order, or any other Justice.