Welcome to Without Prejudice with David Allen Green on Contempt of Court.
“Contempt of court is a court order which, 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.” (Wikipedia) The powers of the judge are significant, as we saw last week when a trial judge used the contempt proceedings to prevent the showing of a BBC drama on the riots of last summer during the final days of a sensitive ongoing trial on the Birmingham riots.
The powers are designed to uphold the rule of law and preserve the right to a fair trial.
We look at the powers at common law and in the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and illustrate the application of the rules with three important recent cases: Chris Jeffries, Levi Bellfield and the Milly Dowler murder case and the Birmingham Riots case
I’d like to thank Lawtel, Westlaw, Cassons For Counsel, City University Law School, David Phillips & Partners Solicitors, Inksters Solicitors, Iken, LBC Wise Counsel, Carrs Solicitors, JMW Solicitors – Manchester, Pannone, BPP Law School and Cellmark for sponsoring the the free student materials on Insite Law – appreciated.
In association with The Lawyer