Section 12: Abolition of scandalising the judiciary as form of contempt of court
Section 12(1) abolishes the common law offence of scandalising the judiciary (also referred to as scandalising the court or scandalising judges) as a form of contempt of court in Northern Ireland. Subsection (2) clarifies that conduct which is a contempt of court (such as abuse of a judge in the face of the court or that otherwise interferes with particular proceedings) and which would also have been scandalising the judiciary, remains contempt of court.
