Law - Contempt of court

What is Contempt of Court ? 

Contempt of court is a law that protects the running of court proceedings. This law has a 'strict liablity laws' this means that it is strictly banned to publish any information that may impact the desdions made in court. This can lead to the maximum of 2 years in prison but this is difficult to strcitly rule as the world has become smaller due to technology meaning that the word can be spread easier making it easier to publish anything that may be part of contempt of court.

Construct your own timeline to demenstrate the term 'active proceeding' 

Contempt of court is in place when the active proceeding are happening this is the stage when the crime has hapened up to when the judgement has been made this will happen in the following timeline. 

CRIME - The crime has been commited and needs to be followed to court.

ARREST OR WARRENT FOR ARREST- people have been found linking to the case and suspects are taken in for questioning.

CHARGE- They have found the criminal and are  ready to take them to court. 

TRIAL- This will be in the process of magistrates to crown court

JURY DELIBERATIONS - The jury discusses and confirms

VIRDICT- They decide whether the accused is Guilty and non guilty

SENTENCE OR AQUITTAL- It is decided whether they will serve time or another agreement will do.

To be under cotempt of court you cant report anything from the start of proceedings till a virdict or sentence has been decided this also has to take into consideration what reporting restrictions their maybe around the case. If any information is leaked the court proceedings can be at risk as the information may sway the juries judgement.

Describe the strict liability rule ? 

It is law in which a journalist is stopped from publishing any information in which a sentance could be change for example a juror must not be able to see an article that will sway their choice. This would possibly stop and restart the court proceedings as the article has done severe damage. 

Research a contempt of court case or what was the outcome or do you think the outcome was right ?

A very popluar case was in the investigation into the muder of Joanna Yates in which a supect was the landlord who lived in a flat above hers. The landlord was arrested as suspect and was placed into investigation. Once this had happened newspaper started realeasing information on the man Chris Jefferies and soon published information that could of swayed the courts judgement but also cusing a case of defemation once his name had been dragged through the dirt. He took the papers to court and recieved jusgment that the newspaper were wrong I think this was the correct judgement.