Source: http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part-81-applications-and-proceedings-in-relation-to-contempt-of-court/practice-direction-81-applications-and-proceedings-in-relation-to-contempt-of-court
Timestamp: 2017-04-26 17:42:40
Document Index: 449552347

Matched Legal Cases: ['ART 81', 'ART 81', 'art 81', 'ART 81', 'ART 81', 'art 81', 'ART 81', 'ART 81', 'ART 81', 'ART 81', 'art 40', 'art 81', 'art 8', 'art 81', 'art 1', 'art 81', 'art 81', 'art 8', 'art 81', 'art 23', 'art 81', 'art 81', 'art 81', 'art 81', 'ART 81']

PRACTICE DIRECTION 81 – APPLICATIONS AND PROCEEDINGS IN RELATION TO CONTEMPT OF COURT
CourtsProcedure rulesCivilRules & Practice DirectionsPART 81 - Applications and Proceedings in Relation to Contempt of Court PRACTICE DIRECTION 81 – APPLICATIONS AND PROCEEDINGS IN RELATION TO CONTEMPT OF COURT
»Courts»Procedure rules»Civil»Rules & Practice Directions»PART 81 - Applications and Proceedings in Relation to Contempt of Court»PRACTICE DIRECTION 81 – APPLICATIONS AND PROCEEDINGS IN RELATION TO CONTEMPT OF COURT Menu ≡
This Practice Direction supplements CPR Part 81 Contents of this Practice Direction
SECTION 2 OF PART 81 – Committal for breach of a judgment, order or undertaking to do or abstain from doing an act
Requirement for a penal notice on judgments and orders –form of penal notice – Rule 81.9
Requirement for a penal notice on judgments and orders –undertakings – Rule 81.9
SECTION 4 OF PART 81 – (1) Certifications by any court, tribunal etc to the High Court under any enactment; (2) Applications to the High Court under section 336 of the Charities Act 2011
Scope of Section 4 of Part 81
SECTION 5 OF PART 81 – Contempt in the face of the court
Committal for contempt in the face of the court – Rule 81.16
SECTION 6 OF PART 81 – Committal for making a false statement of truth or disclosure statement
Committal application in relation to a false statement of truth or disclosure statement – Rule 81.18
SECTION 7 OF PART 81 – Writ of sequestration to enforce a judgment, order or undertaking
Requirement for a penal notice on judgments and orders –form of penal notice – Rule 81.25
SECTION 8 OF PART 81 – General rules about committal applications, orders for committal and writs of sequestration
Court to which applications should be made and levels of judiciary
General rules about applications: applications by claim form
General rules about applications: applications by application notice
The hearing – Rule 81.28
1 A judgment or order which restrains a party from doing an act or requires an act to be done must, if disobedience is to be dealt with by proceedings for contempt of court, have a penal notice endorsed on it as follows (or in words to substantially the same effect) –
2.1 The provisions of paragraph 8.1 of Practice Direction 40B – Judgments and orders that supplements Part 40 apply to an order which contains an undertaking by a party to do or not do an act, subject to paragraph 2.2 below.
(Paragraph 8.1 of Practice Direction 40B contains provisions about specifying the time within which acts must be done.)
2.2 The court may decline to –
unless the party giving the undertaking has made a signed statement to the effect that that party understands the terms of the undertaking and the consequences of failure to comply with it.
2.3 The statement may be endorsed on the order containing the undertaking or may be filed in a separate document such as a letter.
2.4 Where the order containing an undertaking is made in the County Court, form N117 may be used.
3 Section 4 of Part 81 contains rules in relation to statutory powers of the High Court to commit any person for contempt in respect of anything done or not done in relation to a court, tribunal or person. The statutory powers include –
4.1 Where the committal proceedings relate to a contempt in the face of the court the matters referred to in paragraph 4.3 should be given particular attention. Normally, it will be appropriate to defer consideration of the respondent's actions and behaviour to allow the respondent time to reflect on what has occurred. The time needed for the following procedures should allow such a period of reflection.
4.2 A Part 8 claim form and an application notice are not required for contempt falling under Section 5 of Part 81, but other provisions of this Practice Direction should be applied, as necessary, or adapted to the circumstances.
4.3 The judge should –
(b) explain the respondent’s actions and behaviour; and
4.4 If there is a risk of the appearance of bias, the judge should ask another judge to hear the committal application.
4.5 Where the committal application is to be heard by another judge, a written statement by the judge before whom the actions and behaviour of the respondent which have given rise to the committal application took place may be admitted as evidence of those actions and behaviour.
5.1 Rules 81.18(1)(b) and 81.18(3)(b) provide that a committal application may be made by the Attorney General. However, the Attorney General prefers a request that comes from the court to one made direct by a party to the proceedings in which the alleged contempt occurred without prior consideration by the court. A request to the Attorney General is not a way of appealing against, or reviewing, the decision of the judge.
5.2 Where the permission of the court is sought under rule 81.18(1)(a) or 81.18(3)(a) so that rule 81.14 is applied by rule 81.18(2) or 81.18(4), the affidavit evidence in support of the application must –
5.3 The court may –
(1) exercise any of its powers under the rules (including the power to give directions under rule 81.14(6));
(3) as provided by rule 81.18(5), direct that the matter be referred to the Attorney General with a request to consider whether to bring proceedings for contempt of court.
5.4 A request to the Attorney General to consider whether to bring proceedings for contempt of court must be made in writing and sent to the Attorney General’s Office at 20 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0NF.
5.5 A request to the Attorney General must be accompanied by a copy of any order directing that the matter be referred to the Attorney General and must –
5.6 Once the applicant receives the result of the request to the Attorney General, the applicant must send a copy of it to the court that will deal with the committal application, and the court will give such directions as it sees fit.
5.7 The rules do not change the law of contempt or introduce new categories of contempt. A person applying to commence such proceedings should consider whether the incident complained of does amount to contempt of court and whether such proceedings would further the overriding objective in Part 1.
6 Paragraphs 1 and 2.1 to 2.4 apply to judgments and orders to be enforced by a writ of sequestration.
7.1 Unless the court orders otherwise, a writ of sequestration to enforce a judgment, order or undertaking must not be executed on a Sunday, Good Friday or Christmas Day.
7.2 Paragraph 7.1 does not apply to an Admiralty claim in rem.
8.1 Subject to paragraph 8.2, this Section of the Practice Direction applies in relation to all matters covered by Part 81.
8.2 Where there is a conflict between the provisions in this Section of the Practice Direction and specific provisions elsewhere in this Practice Direction or in Part 81, the specific provisions prevail.
9 In all cases the Convention rights of those involved should particularly be borne in mind. It should be noted that the standard of proof, having regard to the possibility that a person may be sent to prison, is that the allegation be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
(Section 1 of the Human Rights Act 1998 defines ’the Convention rights’.)
10.1 A committal application or an application for permission to make a committal application –
(1) may be made in the County Court if the alleged contempt is a contempt which the County Court has power to punish; and
(2) must otherwise be made in the High Court.
10.2 Except where under an enactment a Master or District Judge has power to make a committal order, a committal order can only be made–
(1) in High Court proceedings, by a High Court Judge or a person authorised to act as such; or
(2) in County Court proceedings, by a judge of the County Court other than a District Judge of that court, unless they are exercising the jurisdiction of a Circuit Judge with the permission of the Designated Civil Judge.
10.3 Paragraph 10.4 applies in relation to proceedings in any court (the first court) where the judge or judges exercising the jurisdiction of the first court are deemed to constitute a court of the High Court by virtue of an enactment.
10.4 The reference in paragraph 10.2(1) to a High Court Judge will be construed as a reference to a judge of the first court.
11 If the committal application is one which cannot be made without permission –
(2) the date on which and the name of the judge by whom the requisite permission was granted must be stated on the claim form or application notice by which the committal application is commenced;
(3) the claim form or application notice may not be issued or filed until the requisite permission has been granted; and
(4) Rules 23.9 and 23.10 do not apply.
12 If the application for permission to make a committal application or the committal application is commenced by the issue of a claim form –
(1) Part 8 will apply –
(a) subject to the provisions of Part 81 and this Practice Direction, in particular sub-paragraphs (2) to (4);
(b) as though references to‘claimant’ were references to the applicant; and
(c) as though references to‘defendant’ were references to the respondent;
(2) an amendment to the claim form may be made with the permission of the court but not otherwise;
(3) rule 8.4 does not apply; and
(4) the claim form must contain a prominent notice stating the possible consequences of the court making a committal order and of the respondent not attending the hearing. A form of notice which may be used is annexed to this Practice Direction at Annex 3.
13.1 Where the application is made by application notice, the application notice must state that the application is made in the proceedings in question, and its title and reference number must correspond with the title and reference number of those proceedings.
13.2 If the application for permission to make a committal application or the committal application is commenced by the filing of an application notice –
(1) Part 23 will apply subject to the provisions of Part 81 and this Practice Direction, in particular sub-paragraphs (2) to (4);
(4) the application notice must contain a prominent notice stating the possible consequences of the court making a committal order and of the respondent not attending the hearing. A form of notice which may be used is annexed to this Practice Direction at Annex 3.
14.1 Written evidence in support of or in opposition to a committal application must be given by affidavit.
14.2 Written evidence served in support of or in opposition to a committal application must, unless the court otherwise directs, be filed.
14.3 The following rules do not apply to committal applications –
(1) rule 35.7 (Court’s power to direct that evidence is to be given by a single joint expert);
(2) rule 35.8 (Instructions to single joint expert); and
(3) rule 35.9 (Power of court to direct a party to provide information).
14.4 An order under rule 18.1 (Obtaining further information) may not be made against a respondent to a committal application.
15.1 When issuing or filing the claim form or application notice for a committal application, the applicant must obtain from the court a date for the hearing of the committal application.
15.2 Unless the court otherwise directs, the hearing date of a committal application must not be less than 14 days after service of the claim form or application notice on the respondent. The hearing date must be specified in the claim form or application notice or in a Notice of Hearing attached to and served with the claim form or application notice.
15.3 Paragraphs 15.1 and 15.2 apply to certifications of conduct and applications under section 336 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘section 336 application’) referred to in Section 4 of Part 81 as if references to the claim form or application notice were references to the certification or section 336 application.
(The definition of‘applicant’ in rule 81.3 includes a person who makes a committal application by way of certification or section 336 application.)
15.4 The court may on the hearing date –
15.5 In dealing with any committal application, the court will have regard to the need for the respondent to have details of the alleged acts of contempt and the opportunity to respond to the committal application.
15.6 The court will also have regard to the need for the respondent to be –
16.1 On application by the respondent or on its own initiative, the court may strike out a committal application if it appears to the court –
16.2 The court may waive any procedural defect in the commencement or conduct of a committal application if satisfied that no injustice has been caused to the respondent by the defect.
16.3 A committal application may not be discontinued without the permission of the court.
Annex 1 Rule 81.15(4)– Certifications of conduct, and applications under section 336 of the Charities Act 2011, to the High Court under Section 4 of Part 81
Form of certification, or section 336 application
Form of certification, or section 336 application (PDF - opens in new window)
Annex 2 Rule 81.15(7)– Certifications of conduct, and applications under section 336 of the Charities Act 2011, to the High Court under Section 4 of Part 81
Form of acknowledgment of service (N210C)
Form of acknowledgment of service (N210C) (PDF - opens in new window)
Annex 3 Paragraphs 12(4) and 13.2(4)
Courts CourtsProcedure rulesCivilRules & Practice DirectionsPART 81 - Applications and Proceedings in Relation to Contempt of CourtPRACTICE DIRECTION 81 – APPLICATIONS AND PROCEEDINGS IN RELATION TO CONTEMPT OF COURT Accessibility