ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the strict liability offence of ‘contempt of court’ and the seriousness if members of the media breach any court orders. Contempt of court is the improper interference with the administration of justice. The concept of contempt was established at common law as ‘an act or omission calculated to interfere with the administration of justice’. Civil contempt refers to conduct which is not in itself a crime, but which is punishable by the court in order to ensure that its orders are observed. The Contempt of Court Act 1981 redefined and codified the strict liability offence of contempt of court in statute, which requires court proceedings to be ‘active’. When a court decides that an action constitutes contempt of court, it can issue a court order that in the context of a court trial or hearing declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court’s authority, called ‘found’ or ‘held’ in contempt.
