Contempt of Court in Tswana Law

Abstract

“Contempt of court” in the English legal system has been variously defined as “failure to comply with an order of a superior court, or an act of resistance or insult to the court, or the judges; conduct likely to prejudice the fair trial of an accused person” (Osborn, 1964: 86), and as “any conduct that tends to bring the authority and administration of the law into disrespect or disregard, or to interfere with or prejudice parties litigant or their witnesses during the litigation” (Borrie and Lowe, 1973: 1, quoting Oswald).