It is important to address the court politely and if something is upsetting you, to still act appropriately and to explain your concerns in appropriate language.
The Law Society Gazette has given details of a family case before a District Judge and the way one party behaved, resulting in him facing action for contempt of court.
In short, it is reported a father in the family case swore at the Judge on a number of occasions and kept talking over the Judge to the point that he was muted. This was a remote hearing, rather than an in person hearing in the court room before the Judge. If in person, the father would likely have been removed from the court room.
The outcome of his outbursts and behaviour was to be faced with contempt of court proceedings and found guilty. This resulted in a criminal conviction, albeit that the sentence was suspended. So provided he doesn’t breach the conditions of the suspension, he won’t need to actually spend time in prison. He had apologised for his behaviour and there were other factors affecting him.
The State Of The Courts
It isn’t surprising that people involved in the court process get frustrated with what is happening. All the more so when the issue before the court, is whether someone can see their children or not.
The delays in both the criminal and civil courts, are unacceptable and in our experience, sometimes the Judges can make some disappointing and unexpected decisions, or sometimes push things back to be dealt with at a later date. When the court inefficiencies hit you, it can be extremely frustrating, as the weeks pass by without much happening.
Some Judges are excellent in the way they speak to and handle people without legal representation, whereas others lack those types of skills and can come across dismissive and arrogant.
Regardless of the Judge dealing with your case, you should behave appropriately and keep your cool.
If you go down the route of interrupting or being rude, you are unlikely to sway the Judge to do what you are seeking. If you swear or behave inappropriately, you could face contempt of court action and a criminal sentence.
