(1) A person is in contempt of a Magistrates Court if the person—
(a)
without lawful excuse, fails to comply with an order of the court, other than
an order mentioned in paragraph (e) , or an undertaking given to the court; or
(b) wilfully insults a magistrate or a registrar, bailiff, or other court
officer during the person’s sitting or attendance in court, or in going to
or returning from the court; or
(c) wilfully interrupts the proceedings of
the court or otherwise misbehaves himself or herself in court; or
(d)
unlawfully obstructs or assaults someone in attendance in court; or
(e)
without lawful excuse, disobeys a lawful order or direction of the court at
the hearing of any proceeding; or
(f) commits any other contempt of the
court.
(2) A contempt under subsection (1) must be dealt with in the way
prescribed under the rules.
(3) However—
(a) a contempt mentioned in
subsection (1) (a) may be punished by a maximum penalty of 200 penalty units
or 3 years imprisonment; and
(b) a contempt mentioned in subsection (1) (b)
to (f) may be punished by a maximum penalty of 84 penalty units or 1 year’s
imprisonment.
(4) Without limiting the court’s power to punish for
contempt, the court may order a person committing a contempt to be excluded
from the room or other place in which the court is sitting.
(5) A bailiff or
other court officer acting under the court’s order may, using necessary and
reasonable help and force, take the person into custody and detain the person
until the court rises.
(6) Before the court rises, the court may—
(a) ask
the person to explain why the person should not be punished; or
(b) adjourn
the matter to be dealt with on a stated date.
(7) If the court acts under
subsection (6) (a) , the court may deal with the person immediately.
