The Contempt of Courts Act was passed to define and limit the powers of certain courts in punishing contempt of courts and to regulate their procedure in relation thereto. In which of the following years was the Act passed?

Option 1 : 1971

The correct answer is 1971.

• The Contempt of courts act, 1971:
• An Act to define and limit the powers of certain courts in punishing contempts of courts and to regulate their procedure in relation thereto.
• This Act has been promulgated by the Parliament of India in the Year 1971 with an aim to define what amounts to Contempt of Court.
• This means contempt jurisdiction enjoyed by the courts is only for the purpose of upholding the majesty of the judicial system that exists.
  • Contempt is defined under Section 2(a) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 which says:
  • “Contempt of court” means civil contempt or criminal contempt.
  • “Civil contempt” is defined under Section 2(b) which means wilful disobedience to any judgment decree, direction, order, writ, or another process of a court or wilful breach of an undertaking given to the court.
  • “Criminal contempt” is defined under Section 2(c) which means the publication (whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise) of any matter or the doing of any other act whatsoever which:
    • Scandalises or tends to scandalize, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court.
    • Prejudices, or interferes or tend to interfere with, the due course of any judicial proceeding.
    • Interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner.