Contempt of Court

Contempt of court is a wide-ranging and important subject, the main purpose of which is to protect the due administration of justice in criminal and civil courts. It is concerned for example, with resolving the conflict between the needs of a fair trial and those of a free press. It is also concerned with the limits to the general principle of "open justice" and with such issues as when secret hearings are permissable, when anonymity may be conferred on a witness and when the reporting of legal proceedings may be postponed or prohibited. Other issues covered include the dilemma of the journalist who is required to disclose sources of information, the enforcement of court orders, and the extent to which the judiciary may be criticized in the press and elsewhere.