Contempt of court

The Code requires that you do not place yourself in contempt of court.

Under the common law, contempt of court is an act or omission calculated to interfere with the administration of justice. Examples of statutory offences of contempt include: refusing to be sworn in, give evidence or produce a document or item, using a tape recorder without the court's permission or publishing a sound recording.

Consequences of failing to comply with your duties to the court

Failure to comply with your duties to the court can have serious consequences:

• you may be the subject of a complaint;
• the firm or a member of staff could be in contempt of court, which is ultimately punishable by a fine or imprisonment;

• your reputation and that of the firm could be damaged;

• the firm or individuals within the firm could be disciplined by the SRA or another regulator, which could lead to fines, disqualification or other sanctions.