Legal and constitutional provisions regarding Contempt of Court
Question
Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1.
Pursuant to the report of H.N. Sanyal Committee, the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 was passed.
- 2.
The Constitution of India empowers the Supreme Court and the High Courts to punish for contempt of themselves.
- 3.
The Constitution of India defines Civil Contempt and Criminal Contempt.
- 4.
In India, the Parliament is vested with the powers to make laws on Contempt of Court.
Options
1 and 2 only
1, 2 and 4
3 and 4 only
3 only
Explanation
Statements 1, 2, and 4 are correct. The H.N. Sanyal Committee report led to the 1971 Act. Articles 129 and 215 explicitly empower the SC and HCs to punish for contempt. Parliament inherently possesses the legislative power to enact laws regarding contempt procedures. Statement 3 is incorrect; the Constitution itself does not define the terms "Civil" and "Criminal" contempt; those precise definitions are provided by the statutory Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
Answer: (b).
Question details
Year
2022
Paper
GS Paper 1
Question
Q11
Subject
Polity
Sub-topic
Judiciary & Legal Framework
Type
Statement-based
Difficulty
Hard
Nature
Static
Source hint
Contempt of Courts Act 1971 / Constitution Art.129
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