tempted murder (_R._ v. _Davies_, 1906, 1
K.B. 32); and in the case of the _Weekly Dispatch_ in 1902 (_R._ v.
_Tibbits and Windust_, 1 K.B. 77), two journalists were tried on
indictment, and held to have been rightly convicted, for conspiring to
prevent the course of justice by publishing matter calculated to
interfere with the fair trial of persons who were under accusation.

Courts having jurisdiction.

"In the superior courts the power of committing for contempt is inherent
in their constitution, has been coeval with their original institution
and has been always exercised" (Oswald, _On Contempt_, 3). The high
court in which these courts are merged is the only court which has a
general jurisdiction to deal summarily with all forms of contempt. Each
division of that court deals with the particular contempts arising with
reference to proceedings before the division; but the king's bench
division, in the exercise of the supervisory authority inherited from
the old court of king's bench as _custos morum_, also from time to time
deals with acts constituting interference with justice in other inferior
courts whether of record or not. The nature and limits of this
jurisdiction after much discussion have been defined by decisions in
1903 and 1905 in attempts to try by newspapers cases under inquiry by
justices or awaiting trial at assizes or quarter sessions. The exercise
of this authority in the king's bench division, being in a criminal
cause or matter, is not the subject of appeal to any higher court.

Inferior courts of record have, as a general rule, power to punish only
those contempts which are committed _in facie curiae_ or consist in
disobedience to the lawful orders or judgments of the court. For
instance, a county court may summarily punish persons who insult the
judge or any officer of the court or any juror or witness, or wilfully
interrupt the proceedings, or misbehave in the court-house (County Court
Act 1888, s. 162), and may also attack persons who having means refuse
to comply with an order to pay money, or refuse to comply with an order
to deliver up a specific chattel or disobey an injunction. A court of
quarter sessions has at common law a like power as to contempts _in
facie curiae_ and is said to have power to punish its officials for
contempt in non-attendance or neglect of duty.

Punishment.

Contempt of court is a misdemeanour and is punishable by fine and
imprisonment or either at disc