Contempt of Court

Contempt of court covers both "civil contempt" — deliberately disobeying a court's judgment, order, or undertaking — and "criminal contempt," which includes actions that scandalise the court, prejudice a pending case, or otherwise interfere with the administration of justice.

Courts can punish contempt with a fine or imprisonment, though this power is typically exercised carefully, since legitimate criticism of a judgment is not by itself contempt.