Fazeela Tariq is a lawyer and a graduate of Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore. She is currently practicing civil and criminal litigation at a top-tier law firm in Lahore.

Courts are the ultimate form of justice for citizens living in a democratic country and thereby held in a higher esteem. The need for contempt of court is not only fair but necessary to protect the status of judges and ensure compliance with the orders of a court. Contempt of court in Pakistan is primarily regulated under two different frameworks, namely the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, and the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003. Article 204 of the constitution deals with contempt of court in the case of a High Court or the Supreme Court, while the 2003 ordinance deals with contempt in lower courts as well.

The major reason for initiation of contempt of court proceedings is to preserve the authority of a court and prevent parties from bringing the courts or a judge into ridicule. Three kinds of contempt are covered under the legal framework:........

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