APPLICATION FOR COMMITTAL FOR CONTEMPT
i. Introduction:
[1] The learned (and one of the respected jurists in the Common Law tradition) Lord Denning MR in the case of BRADBURY v. ENFIELD LONDON BOROUGH COUNCIL [1967] 1 W.L.R. 1311 @ 1324 stated:
“Even if chaos should result, still the law must be obeyed”.
[2] The Applicant moves this application to vindicate the law and its sanctions. He accuses the Respondent of breaking the law by disrespecting a binding order of the court, thereby bringing the administration of justice into disrepute.
[3] Black’s Law Dictionary 8th Edition defines contempt as “conduct that defies the authority or dignity of a Court or legislature. Because such conduct interferes with the administration of justice, it is punishable, usually by fine or imprisonment.” The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English by A.S. Hornby (7th Edition) also defines contempt of court as “the crime of refusing to obey an order made by a court; not showing respect for a cou…