Judiciary acts as a guardian of rule of law, which is the
foundation of a democratic society. It acts not only as the third
pillar, but the central pillar of a democratic State[1]. Therefore, for a democracy to work
efficiently, it is imperative that the judiciary is not only free
from external influences, rather, has a power to maintain its
majesty and authority. In order to ensure that the dignity and
authority of the judiciary is respected and protected, Courts have
been empowered with the "extraordinary power[2]" of punishment for their contempt. Law
of contempt serves public interest and builds confidence in the
judicial process.
The Report of the Committee on Contempt of Courts, as early as
1963, acknowledged the difficulty and vagueness inherent in
defining the term "contempt", which may manifest in
various form. It was therefore concluded, "Contempt cannot
be defined except by enumerating the heads under which it may be
classified-heads which can never be
