As the Principal Legal Draftsman and Senior Supreme Court Counsel at LegalBD, I have authored this master-class legal handbook to address one of the most persistent structural bottlenecks in the administration of justice in the People's Republic of Bangladesh: the willful, systemic, and bureaucratically entrenched defiance of High Court Division orders, mandatory directions, status quo ante mandates, and absolute stays by executive officers, statutory authorities, and administrative functionaries. When a citizen or corporate entity litigates for years to secure a definitive judicial verdict or interim injunction against state overreach, only to watch executive authorities treat sealed judicial writs with administrative apathy, the rule of law faces an existential crisis. This handbook provides an exhaustive, authoritative roadmap for invoking the supreme constitutional and statutory coercive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
<h2 id="constitutional-statutory-basis">1. Constitutional and Statutory Basis: Article 108 and the Contempt of Courts Act 2013</h2>
<p>The constitutional architecture of Bangladesh vests plenary, inherent, and unyielding contempt jurisdiction within the Supreme Court. Unlike subordinate tribunals whose contempt powers are circumscribed by specific statutory delegations, both the Appellate Division and the High Court Division of the Supreme Court derive their foundational contempt authority directly from the supreme lex of the land.</p>
<h3>Article 108 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh</h3>
<p>Article 108 explicitly establishes the Supreme Court as a Court of Record:</p>
<blockquote>
<strong>Article 108. Supreme Court to be court of record:</strong><br>
"The Supreme Court shall be a court of record and shall have all the powers of such a court including the power subject to law to make order for the investigation of or punishment for any contempt of itself."
</blockquote>
<p>As a Court of Record, the Supreme Court possesses the inherent constitutional power to protect its own dignity, preserve the majesty of the judicial process, and enforce compliance with its mandates. This power is self-executing and cannot be abrogated, curtailed, or diminished by ordinary legislation.</p>
<h3>The Contempt of Courts Act, 2013 (Act No. XXVI of 2013)</h3>
<p>While Article 108 provides the constitutional bedrock, the <strong>Contempt of Courts Act, 2013</strong> codifies the statutory parameters, classifications, defenses, and penalties governing contempt proceedings in Bangladesh. Enacted to replace the colonial-era Contempt of Courts Act of 1926, the 2013 statute meticulously defines the boundaries between civil and criminal contempt:</p>
<ul>
<p><strong>Section 2(b): "Civil Contempt"</strong> means willful disobedience of any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ, or other process of a court, or willful breach of an undertaking given to a court.</p>
<p><strong>Section 2(c): "Criminal Contempt"</strong> means the publication (whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations, or otherwise) of any matter or the doing of any other act whatsoever which—</p>
<ul>
<li>(i) scandalizes or tends to scandalize, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court; or</li>
<li>(ii) prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with, the due course of any judicial proceeding; or</li>
<li>(iii) interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<h3>Statutory Evolution and Contemporary 2026 Framework</h3>
<p>Navigating contempt proceedings in 2026 requires strict harmonization with contemporary legislative and regulatory enactments. When enforcing mandatory orders against executive bodies, counsel must cross-reference contempt applications with specialized modern statutes:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Income Tax Act, 2023:</strong> Frequently invoked when National Board of Revenue (NBR) officials arbitrarily freeze bank accounts or seize assets in direct violation of High Court stay orders.</li>
<li><strong>Road Transport Act, 2018 & Road Transport Rules, 2022:</strong> Essential when regional transport authorities or police administrations impound vehicles despite express interim protections granted by the Court.</li>
<li><strong>Parents Maintenance Act, 2013:</strong> Relevant in appellate contempt enforcement where maintenance execution orders issued by District Courts and affirmed by the High Court are ignored.</li>
<li><strong>Cyber Security Act, 2023:</strong> Applies when contemnors launch digital defamation campaigns, doxxing, or malicious online attacks against litigants or judges to subvert judicial proceedings.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="distinction-civil-vs-criminal-contempt">2. Jurisprudential Distinction: Civil vs. Criminal Contempt in Administrative Enforcement</h2>
<p>For judgment creditors seeking to compel bureaucratic compliance, understanding the fault lines between Civil and Criminal Contempt is paramount. Conflating the two invites immediate dismissal on grounds of defective framing.</p>
<table class="comparison-table" style="width:100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 20px 0; background: #0A1118; color: #E0E0E0; border: 1px solid #C5A059;">
<thead>
<tr style="background: #16222A; border-bottom: 2px solid #C5A059;">
<th style="padding: 12px; border: 1px solid #333; text-align: left;">Parameter</th>
<th style="padding: 12px; border: 1px solid #333; text-align: left;">Civil Contempt (Section 2(b))</th>
<th style="padding: 12px; border: 1px solid #333; text-align: left;">Criminal Contempt (Section 2(c))</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;"><strong>Primary Gravamen</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Willful disobedience of a court order, writ, decree, or undertaking.</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Scandalizing the court, interfering with judicial proceedings, obstructing justice.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;"><strong>Target Audience</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Government Secretaries, Director-Generals, Managing Directors, Land Officers.</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Media personnel, unruly litigants, recalcitrant advocates, social media trolls.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;"><strong>Burden & Standard of Proof</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Clear and convincing evidence of knowledge and willful default.</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Beyond reasonable doubt (quasi-criminal standard).</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;"><strong>Primary Objective</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Coercive compliance; forcing the state organ to execute the mandate.</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Punitive deterrence; upholding institutional majesty and public confidence.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;"><strong>Statutory Penalties</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Simple imprisonment up to 6 months, fine up to BDT 2,000, or civil imprisonment (detention in civil prison).</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Simple imprisonment up to 6 months, fine up to BDT 10,000, or both.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>In 95% of administrative litigation involving recalcitrant government officers in the High Court Division, the appropriate remedy is <strong>Civil Contempt</strong>. However, if a Secretary or Deputy Commissioner publicly denounces a High Court judgment in the press or issues circulars threatening subordinates with disciplinary action if they comply with court orders, that administrative act morphs into <strong>Criminal Contempt</strong>, warranting a combined or standalone criminal contempt petition under Article 108.</p>
<div class="warning-callout" style="border-left: 4px solid #C5A059; background: #111B24; padding: 15px; margin: 20px 0;">
<h4 style="color: #C5A059; margin-top: 0;">CRITICAL LEGAL PITFALL: The "Good Faith" and "Administrative Delay" Defense</h4>
<p>Under Section 7 of the Contempt of Courts Act 2013, a court shall not impose a sentence for contempt unless it is satisfied that the contempt is of such a nature that it substantially interferes, or tends to substantially interfere, with the due course of justice. Bureaucratic contemnors routinely plead "bona fide administrative delay," inter-ministerial file movement, or "seeking legal advice from the Attorney General's Office" as shields. As a Senior Counsel, I advise drafting contempt petitions to systematically dismantle this defense by establishing that the contemnor had actual, personal knowledge of the sealed copy of the order and deliberately allowed the statutory limitation or compliance window to lapse without taking affirmative corrective steps.</p>
</div>
<h2 id="process-roadmap">3. Step-by-Step Enforcement Process Roadmap</h2>
<p>Securing compliance from an entrenched executive bureaucracy requires a rigorous, methodical sequence of filings. Below is the visual architectural workflow for executing a contempt petition in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.</p>
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<text x="65" y="25" class="step-title">STEP 1</text>
<text x="65" y="50" class="step-text">Service of</text>
<text x="65" y="68" class="step-text">Certified Copy</text>
<text x="65" y="86" class="step-text">& Legal Notice</text>
<text x="65" y="115" class="step-text" fill="#A0A0A0">7-14 Days</text>
<text x="65" y="132" class="step-text" fill="#A0A0A0">Grace Period</text>
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<text x="65" y="68" class="step-text">Petition under</text>
<text x="65" y="86" class="step-text">Article 108 & Act</text>
<text x="65" y="115" class="step-text" fill="#A0A0A0">Affidavit of</text>
<text x="65" y="132" class="step-text" fill="#A0A0A0">Non-Compliance</text>
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<text x="65" y="25" class="step-title">STEP 3</text>
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<text x="65" y="68" class="step-text">Assignment in</text>
<text x="65" y="86" class="step-text">HC Division</text>
<text x="65" y="115" class="step-text" fill="#A0A0A0">Court Fee BDT</text>
<text x="65" y="132" class="step-text" fill="#A0A0A0">1,000 Affixed</text>
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<text x="65" y="25" class="step-title">STEP 4</text>
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<text x="65" y="86" class="step-text">Show Cause</text>
<text x="65" y="115" class="step-text" fill="#A0A0A0">Personal</text>
<text x="65" y="132" class="step-text" fill="#A0A0A0">Appearance Order</text>
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<text x="42" y="50" class="step-text">Compliance</text>
<text x="42" y="68" class="step-text">or Conviction</text>
<text x="42" y="95" class="step-text" fill="#FFD700" style="font-weight:bold;">Execution</text>
<text x="42" y="115" class="step-text" fill="#A0A0A0">Civil Prison</text>
<text x="42" y="132" class="step-text" fill="#A0A0A0">or Fine</text>
</g>
</svg>
<h2 id="statutory-table">4. Comprehensive Procedural and Statutory Matrix</h2>
<p>To ensure total transparency and operational precision, the following statutory table outlines the exact regulatory authority, governing sections, official fees, and processing timelines for every stage of a contempt proceeding in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.</p>
<!-- STATUTORY TABLE -->
<table class="statutory-table" style="width:100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 20px 0; background: #0A1118; color: #E0E0E0; border: 1px solid #C5A059;">
<thead>
<tr style="background: #16222A; border-bottom: 2px solid #C5A059;">
<th style="padding: 12px; border: 1px solid #333; text-align: left;">Procedure / Step</th>
<th style="padding: 12px; border: 1px solid #333; text-align: left;">Regulatory Authority</th>
<th style="padding: 12px; border: 1px solid #333; text-align: left;">Primary Statute / Section</th>
<th style="padding: 12px; border: 1px solid #333; text-align: left;">Official Government Fees (BDT)</th>
<th style="padding: 12px; border: 1px solid #333; text-align: left;">Processing Timeline</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;"><strong>Legal Contempt Notice</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Supreme Court Advocate on Record (AOR)</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">General Practice / Section 2(b) Contempt of Courts Act 2013</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Courier/Registered Post Actuals (~BDT 500)</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">7 to 14 Days Notice Period</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;"><strong>Drafting & Filing Petition</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">High Court Division (Original Side)</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Article 108 of Constitution & Section 15, Contempt Act 2013</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">BDT 1,000 (Court Fee Stamps) + Vakalatnama BDT 50</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">1 to 3 Working Days</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;"><strong>Issuance of Rule Nisi</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Hon'ble Bench of High Court Division</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Supreme Court Contempt Rules & Article 108</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Process Fee / Notice Transmission (BDT 200)</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Within 1 Week of Motion Hearing</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;"><strong>Personal Appearance / Show Cause</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Alleged Contemnor (Secretary/Director)</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Section 16, Contempt of Courts Act 2013</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Nil (Personal Legal Representation Costs)</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">2 to 4 Weeks Returnable Date</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;"><strong>Appellate Review / Appeal</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Appellate Division, Supreme Court</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Section 19, Contempt of Courts Act 2013 & Article 103</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">BDT 2,000 (Supreme Court Rules Fees)</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #333;">Within 30 Days of Impugned Order</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2 id="drafting-issuing-legal-notice">5. Step 1: Issuing the Pre-Contempt Legal Notice</h2>
<p>Before rushing to the High Court Division with an Article 108 petition, standard practice requires the issuance of a formal, legally rigorous Contempt Notice. As Senior Counsel, I always instruct clients to serve this notice through an Advocate-on-Record (AOR) of the Supreme Court.</p>
<h3>Anatomy of a Pre-Contempt Notice</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Precise Reference to the Order:</strong> Quote verbatim the operative portion of the High Court order, including Writ Petition No., date of issuance, and names of the Hon'ble Judges who penned the verdict.</li>
<li><strong>Evidence of Service:</strong> Attach a certified copy of the order delivered to the contemnor's official office via registered post with acknowledgment due (AD) or hand delivery with receiving seal.</li>
<li><strong>Specific Mandate of Disobedience:</strong> Detail exactly how the contemnor has breached the mandate (e.g., failure to restore possession, refusal to process pension, issuance of conflicting administrative memos).</li>
<li><strong>The Ultimatum:</strong> Provide a strict 7-day to 14-day window for complete compliance, explicitly warning that failure to comply will trigger Article 108 contempt proceedings in the High Court Division seeking personal appearance and imprisonment.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="drafting-article-108-petition">6. Step 2: Drafting the Article 108 Contempt Petition</h2>
<p>If the executive officer ignores the legal notice, the petitioner must file a substantive Contempt Petition. Drafting this document requires meticulous adherence to the Supreme Court Contempt Rules and original side pleading standards.</p>
<h3>Key Structural Components of the Petition</h3>
<ol>
<li><strong>Cause Title:</strong> Must accurately reflect the original Writ Petition number, the names and official designations of the contemnors (e.g., <em>Secretary, Ministry of Land vs. Petitioner</em>), and invoke Article 108 read with Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act 2013.</li>
<li><strong>Statement of Facts:</strong> A chronological narration establishing how the substantive writ petition was filed, the interim/final order passed, the service of the order, and the willful, deliberate inaction of the contemnor.</li>
<li><strong>Grounds of Contempt:</strong> Legal arguments demonstrating that the disobedience was not accidental or caused by lack of funds, but represents a contumacious disregard for the authority of the Supreme Court.</li>
<li><strong>Affidavit of Non-Compliance:</strong> A mandatory supporting affidavit sworn by the petitioner affirming that the order remains unexecuted despite clear knowledge.</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="hearing-rule-nisi-personal-appearance">7. Step 3: Motion Hearing, Rule Nisi, and Personal Appearance Orders</h2>
<p>Once filed and assigned by the Registrar General to a designated High Court bench, the petition is listed for "Motion" hearing.</p>
<h3>The Motion Hearing</h3>
<p>Counsel must present concise oral arguments before the Division Bench. If the Bench is prima facie satisfied that an enforceable order has been flouted without lawful excuse, it will issue a <strong>Rule Nisi</strong> calling upon the contemnor to show cause why they should not be punished for contempt of court under Article 108.</p>
<h3>Securing Personal Appearance (Section 16)</h3>
<p>A common tactical challenge in Bangladesh is that government secretaries or high-ranking bureaucrats rarely appear in person upon the initial issuance of a Rule. They often dispatch junior law officers or assistant attorneys general to seek adjournments. However, Section 16 of the Contempt of Courts Act 2013 and Supreme Court practice empower the Bench to direct the <strong>personal appearance</strong> of the contemnor.</p>
<blockquote>
<em>"When the Court issues a Rule Nisi in contempt proceedings against a high-ranking state official, the Court may dispense with personal appearance only if a valid, compelling ground is demonstrated, but routinely commands physical presence in court to impress upon the executive the solemnity of judicial mandates."</em>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="defenses-penalties-statutory-consequences">8. Defenses, Penalties, and Statutory Consequences</h2>
<p>When a contemnor appears before the High Court Division, they typically raise specific statutory defenses permitted under the 2013 Act.</p>
<h3>Permissible Defenses Under the Contempt of Courts Act 2013</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Section 6 (Innocent Publication/Conduct):</strong> Applicable primarily in criminal contempt where the contemnor had no reasonable grounds to believe that judicial proceedings were pending.</li>
<li><strong>Section 7 (Substantial Interference Test):</strong> Contending that the technical breach did not substantially interfere with the course of justice.</li>
<li><strong>Section 8 (Apology):</strong> The court may discharge a rule or remit punishment if a bona fide, unconditional, and unqualified written apology is tendered at an early stage. However, as established in binding appellate precedents, a court is not bound to accept a disingenuous or coerced apology offered merely to escape prison.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Statutory Penalties (Section 13)</h3>
<p>If the High Court Division finds the contemnor guilty of civil or criminal contempt, Section 13 prescribes the following punishments:</p>
<ul>
<li>Simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to <strong>six months</strong>;</li>
<li>Fine which may extend to <strong>two thousand Taka</strong> (for civil contempt) or <strong>ten thousand Taka</strong> (for criminal contempt); or</li>
<li>Both.</li>
</ul>
<p>Crucially, Section 13(2) provides that the accused may be discharged or the punishment remitted upon the tender of a genuine apology. However, where the contemnor is a government department or corporate body, the court may direct the attachment of property or direct the respective ministry to initiate departmental disciplinary proceedings against the erring officer.</p>
<h2 id="appellate-remedies-appellate-division">9. Appellate Remedies in the Appellate Division</h2>
<p>A finding of contempt or an order dismissing a contempt petition is not the end of the road. <strong>Section 19 of the Contempt of Courts Act 2013</strong> provides an explicit statutory right of appeal:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>From High Court Single Bench to Division Bench:</strong> Where an order is made by a Single Bench of the High Court Division.</li>
<li><strong>From High Court Division to the Appellate Division:</strong> An appeal lies as of right against any order or decision of the High Court Division exercising contempt jurisdiction to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh within <strong>30 days</strong> of the impugned order.</li>
</ul>
<p>Judgment creditors must remain vigilant: filing an appeal in the Appellate Division does not automatically operate as a stay of the High Court's contempt sentence unless a specific interim stay order is secured from the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division.</p>
<h2 id="faq-section">10. Frequently Asked Questions (Schema FAQs)</h2>
◆ Related Statutory Guides & Practice Insights
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<a href="/en/section-144-crpc-land-injunction-executive-magistrate-bangladesh/" style="color:#C5A059; font-weight:600; text-decoration:none; font-size:14px; display:inline-block; transition:color 0.2s;">• Section 144 CrPC Land Injunction: Executive Magistrate Powers & Emergency Restraints in Bangladesh</a>
</li> <div class="faq-item" itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question">
<h3 class="faq-question" itemprop="name">What is the exact legal basis for filing a contempt petition in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh?</h3>
<div class="faq-answer" itemscope itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer">
<p itemprop="text">The legal basis is anchored in Article 108 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, which establishes the Supreme Court as a Court of Record with inherent powers to punish for contempt of itself, read alongside the statutory framework of the Contempt of Courts Act, 2013 (Act No. XXVI of 2013) and the Supreme Court Contempt Rules.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="faq-item" itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question">
<h3 class="faq-question" itemprop="name">How do I distinguish between Civil and Criminal Contempt when drafting my application?</h3>
<div class="faq-answer" itemscope itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer">
<p itemprop="text">Under Section 2(b) of the Contempt of Courts Act 2013, Civil Contempt involves the willful disobedience of a court order, writ, or undertaking (typically used against bureaucrats failing to implement judgments). Criminal Contempt under Section 2(c) involves acts or publications that scandalize the court, lower its authority, or interfere with the administration of justice.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="faq-item" itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question">
<h3 class="faq-question" itemprop="name">Can government secretaries and high-ranking bureaucrats be sent to civil prison for violating High Court orders?</h3>
<div class="faq-answer" itemscope itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer">
<p itemprop="text">Yes. Under Section 13 of the Contempt of Courts Act 2013, if a court finds an official guilty of willful and contumacious disobedience, it can impose simple imprisonment for up to six months, a financial fine, or both. The High Court routinely issues personal appearance orders to compel bureaucrats to answer for non-compliance.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="faq-item" itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question">
<h3 class="faq-question" itemprop="name">What is the mandatory procedure before filing an Article 108 contempt petition in the High Court?</h3>
<div class="faq-answer" itemscope itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer">
<p itemprop="text">The standard practice requires serving a formal Pre-Contempt Legal Notice through an Advocate-on-Record (AOR) attaching a certified copy of the judgment or order, granting a 7-to-14-day compliance window. If the authority fails to comply within this period, the contempt petition is filed with an affidavit of non-compliance and court fee stamps of BDT 1,000.</p>
</div>
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<div class="faq-item" itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question">
<h3 class="faq-question" itemprop="name">Is there a right of appeal if the High Court Division dismisses my contempt petition?</h3>
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<p itemprop="text">Yes. Section 19 of the Contempt of Courts Act 2013 provides a statutory right of appeal against any order or decision of the High Court Division exercising contempt jurisdiction. Appeals must be filed before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh within 30 days of the impugned order.</p>
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<div class="faq-item" itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question">
<h3 class="faq-question" itemprop="name">Can an unconditional apology completely absolve a contemnor from punishment?</h3>
<div class="faq-answer" itemscope itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer">
<p itemprop="text">Under Section 13(2) of the Act, the court may discharge a contemnor or remit punishment if a genuine, unconditional, and unqualified apology is tendered. However, binding Supreme Court jurisprudence establishes that an apology is not a matter of right and will be rejected if the court perceives it as insincere, reluctant, or merely a tactical escape