Australian Capital Territory Current Acts

CORONERS ACT 1997 - SECT 99A

    (1)     A person is in contempt of the Coroner's Court if the person—

        (a)     contravenes an order of the court or an undertaking given to the court; or

        (b)     commits a contempt in the face or in the hearing of the court; or

        (c)     commits any other contempt of court.

Examples—par (b)

1     insulting a coroner, the registrar or deputy registrar of the court, or any other court officer during the officer's sitting or attendance in court

2     interrupting a proceeding of the court or misbehaving in court

3     obstructing or assaulting someone in attendance in court

4     disobeying a direction of the court at the hearing of a proceeding

    (2)     The Coroner's Court has the same power to deal with contempt of the Coroner's Court as the Supreme Court has to deal with contempt of the Supreme Court.

    (3)     However, a contempt mentioned in subsection (1) (a) may be dealt with as a contempt of court only if there is no other effective way to enforce the order or undertaking.

    (4)     To remove any doubt, this section does not limit the Supreme Court's power to deal with contempt of the Coroner's Court.