Civil Contempt and Criminal Contempt of Court-

Contempt is the state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace. Any conduct that tends to bring
the authority and administration of law into disrespect or disregard or to interfere with or
prejudice parties or their witness during litigation is considered to be contempt of court.
The Indian legislature does not provide with a concrete definition of contempt, however section
2(a) of The Contempt of Courts,1971 says ‘contempt of court means civil contempt or criminal
contempt’. Section 2(b) & section 2(c) of The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 defines civil and
criminal contempt
Civil contempt is refusal to follow a court order or willful disobedience to any judgement,
decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court or willful breach of an undertaking given
to a court. It can either be a refusal to do something the court orders you to do, or doing
something the court tells you not to do. Civil contempt is often seen in a divorce case. For
example, if a parent refuses to pay court-ordered child support, it is civil contempt. It is also civil
contempt for a divorced parent to refuse to turn over the kids to the other parent as required by a
parenting time order. The judge uses the threat of contempt to coerce the parties to follow its
orders. For example, the court may fine a parent hiding a child $100 per day until the child is
produced.
Criminal contempt is a different, it means the publication (whether by word, spoken or written,
or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise) of any matter or the doing of any other act
whatsoever. It occurs when someone actively disrespects the court or acts in a way that makes it
more difficult for the court to conduct its work. For example, if the defendant in a criminal case
screams insults at the judge, it can be treated as criminal contempt. Note that criminal contempt
is not limited to a criminal case. If a spouse shouts insults at the judge during a divorce case, it is
also criminal contempt. A judge uses a criminal contempt charge to punish the offender. The
person shouting may be ordered to spend a week in jail, or pay a fine of $1,000.