Contempt of Court

Why it is in news?

• The Supreme Court accepted an unqualified apology by a man against whom it had issued contempt notice for making certain public statements on the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. 

What Is Contempt of Court?

• According to act of 1971, Contempt of court is any behavior or wrongdoing that conflicts with or challenges the authority, integrity, and superiority of the court.
•  These acts might include failure to comply with requests, witness tampering, withholding evidence, interruption of proceedings, or defying a court order.
• These wrongful acts may be committed by attorneys, officers of the court, court personnel, jurors, witnesses, protestors, or any party involved in a court proceeding

Types of Contempt of Court

• There are two main types of contempt of court: criminal and civil
•  Criminal contempt can occur within a civil or criminal case.
•  Civil contempt might include a refusal to comply with a court order in a civil action.

Power to Punish

• Power to punish for contempt of court under Articles 129 and 215 is not subject to Article 19(1)(a).