Contempt of court

Contempt of court is a court ruling which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, deems an individual as holding contempt for the court, its process, and its invested powers. Often stated simply as "in contempt," it is the highest remedy of a judge to impose sanctions on an individual for acts which wantonly or excessively disrupt the normal process of a court hearing.

See also

• Contempt of Congress - in the United States, the same crime but against the U.S. Congress
• Contempt of Parliament - a similar concept to Contempt of Congress, but a power of Parliament
• Perjury - lying to the court is a separate criminal offence in most jurisdictions, but is analogous to contempt in many ways.
• Perverting the course of justice - A criminal offense in English law where a person seeks to subvert court proceedings.