Contempt of Court

Being in contempt of court is when the publication ‘creates substantial risk of serious prejudice to proceedings and proceedings are active’.

For example, publishing a defendants previous convictions would create prejudice’.

There are two types of contempt: common law contempt and strict liability contempt.

 

Common Law Contempt is publishing material that creates substantial risk of serious prejudice to proceedings which are imminent or pending with the intention of creating risk or interfering with the administration of justice.

Strict Liability Contempt is publishing material which creates risk. The court decides if a publication has created risk regardless of the writer’s motives.

 

As well as looking into contempt, we covered how to cover sex offences and jig-saw identification. Next week we get to go to court again which I am looking forward to.