CONTEMPT OF COURT

CONTEMPT OF COURT

News:  Supreme Court said “ any clampdown on the spread of information or calls for help through Social media from citizens affected by COVID-19 will amount to contempt of court.'' The court further cited the example of pre-independence time “free flow of information in the 1970 famine enabled the government to tackle problems effectively as compared to the clampdown during the 1918 pandemic” 

Contempt of Court:

    Under Article 129 of the Constitution, the Supreme court has been given the power to punish for its contempt.

Contempt is of two types:

1. Civil contempt: 

   1. It depicts willful disobedience to any judgement, order, writ or other process.

2. Criminal contempt: 

   1. It means lowering the authority of the court,

   2. Interfering with the due course of judicial proceedings, 

   3. Interferes with the administration of justice.

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What does not amount to Contempt of Court?

• Innocent publication or distribution of material.

• Fair reporting of judicial proceedings

• Genuine  criticism of the judicial proceedings/ judgements.

Thus the balance between right to freedom of speech and expression and contempt of court should be maintained.