Illustration 1
A resides in a foreign country and has agreed to testify as a witness in a criminal trial in Singapore. B stops A from travelling to Singapore to testify in the trial by making in the foreign country a death threat against A. The Singapore court has jurisdiction under subsection (5) to try and punish B for contempt of court.
Illustration 2
A accepts a bribe from B in a foreign country as gratification for giving false evidence in A's testimony as a witness in a civil trial in Singapore. A gives false evidence in the trial in Singapore. The Singapore court has jurisdiction under subsection (5) to try and punish B for contempt of court.
Punishment for contempt of court
12.—(1) Except as otherwise provided in any other written law, a person who commits contempt of court shall be liable to be punished—
- (a) subject to paragraph (b), where the power to punish for contempt is exercised by the High Court or by the Court of Appeal, with a fine not exceeding $100,000 or with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or with both;
- (b) where the power to punish for contempt is exercised by the High Court in relation to contempt in the face of or in connection with any proceedings in a State Court, Family Court or Youth Court, as the case may be, with a fine not exceeding $20,000 or with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or with both; or
- (c) where the power to punish for contempt is exercised by any other court, with a fine not exceeding $20,000 or with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or with both.
(2) In addition to any punishment imposed under subsection (1), where a person has committed contempt in relation to the proceedings before a court, the court may refuse to hear the person until the contempt is purged or the person submits to the order or direction of the court or an apology is made to the satisfaction of the court.
(3) In addition to any punishment imposed under subsection (1), the court may, on its own motion or on application by the applicant in the
