Is contempt of court a criminal offence in Kenya?

Is contempt of court a criminal offence in Kenya?

For a party to be cited for contempt, he must have violated and or disobeyed an order that was directed at him. 48. The application before court seeks to have the respondent cited contempt of this court’s order of 7th September 2020 and to be committed him to civil jail and or fined as the court may deem fit.

What is the rule for contempt of court?

—Every proceeding for contempt shall be dealt with by a Bench of not less than two Members: Provided where the contempt is alleged to have been committed in view of, presence or hearing of the Member(s), the same shall be dealt with by the Member(s) in accordance with section 14 of the Act.

Who determines the punishment for contempt of court in Kenya?

Section 5 of the Judicature Act gives power to the High Court and the Court of Appeal to punish for Contempt of Court.

Is contempt of court Act unconstitutional?

Hence, on the above grounds, it can be concluded that the Contempt of Court Act, 1971 is not violative of any provision of the Constitution and it is constitutionally valid.

What happens when a court order is disobeyed?

A criminal contemnor may be fined, jailed, or both as punishment for his act. Civil contempt occurs when the contemnor willfully disobeys a court order. This is also called indirect contempt because it occurs outside the judge’s immediate realm, and evidence must be presented to the judge to prove the contempt.

What are the Defences of contempt of court?

There is a defence to contempt known as “innocent publication”. This means that if the publisher does not know or suspect that a case is active, they do not commit a contempt. Finding out whether a case is active is therefore crucial.

Who can issue contempt of court?

Article 129 of the Constitution, makes the Supreme Court “a court of record” and confers power to punish for contempt of itself. Whereas, Article 142 empowers the Court to provide punishment for contempt, subject to any other law made in this behalf by the Parliament.

In what cases contempt of court is not punishable?

(1) A person shall not be guilty of contempt of court on the ground that he has published (whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations, or otherwise) any matter which interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the course of justice in connection with …

Who can punish for contempt of court?

Article 129[8] – Grants Supreme Court of India, the power to punish for contempt of itself. Article 142(2)[9] – Enables the Supreme Court of India, to investigate and punish any person for its contempt. Article 215[10] – Grants every High Court the power to punish for contempt of itself.

What happens if court order is ignored?

(d) Contempt of Court Proceedings If you have obtained an enforceable court order and there is a clear breach of the court order, the breaching party may be committing a criminal offence (sometimes known as being in “contempt of court”). This may lead to police action, prosecution, fines, or imprisonment.