Important Facts about Contempt of Court
Sovereign states run in an organized and systematic manner in order to serve the populace effectively. The main role of the government is to provide a pool that collects taxes which are used to run all vital aspects and services provided by the government. A case in point of government service providers are the ministries of health, transport, defense, agriculture, finance and commerce.
In order to avoid excesses of any arm of the government, disregard of the law and dictatorship, the government is normally divided into three. This branches are the judiciary, the legislature and the executive. The executive is the overall of government and organizes itself through ministries. The role of the ministries is to make policies relating to their ministries, provide services and oversee operations. The legislature on the other hand are elected by the populace. Depending on the structure of the legislature, this arm of government provide laws that govern the federal, state or county governments. The judiciary on the other hand manage legal matters and interpret the constitution and other legislature which have been passed by the legislative arm.
The judiciary is the custodian of the constitution and laws of the land. They do this by managing both civil and criminal cases. They are also the ones who interpret the law that have been formulated over time. They are able to do this because they are trained on legal matters and are given authority to preside over court case. Once any court gives direction or makes decisions pertaining to any case, their decision must be respected. This is why the law allows any unsatisfied party to appeal on lower court decision in the higher courts, within a stipulated time-frame. The uppermost court is the Supreme Court and their decisions can hardly be disputed. In the absence of an appeal, all parties involved in a legal matter must adhere to the decision of the court. Any intolerance to court decisions is referred to as contempt of court.
No one is exempted from abiding with court decision whether a civilian or a government official. Disregard of any court decision can cause a court to declare that such a person is in contempt. One can be found in contempt when they disregard court orders, disrupt court proceedings, or when they publish or say anything that will challenge a court decision out of court. Contempt of court is a serious charge and is punishable by law. The penalty for contempt of court is usually imprisonment or a fine. However, the penalties are outlined in the law. On the bright side, persons who are in contempt should know that they are allowed to defend themselves and dissuade the court decision.