Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other labelled as Reason (R): 1. Assertion (A): Wilful disobedience or non-compliance of Court orders and use of derogatory language about judicial behaviour amount to Contempt of Court. 2. Reason (R): Judicial activism cannot be practised without arming the judiciary with punitive powers to punish contemptuous behaviour. In the context of the above two statements which one of the following is correct?

IAS 1997 — Political Science Indian Polity

1997mcqmedium

Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other labelled as Reason (R):

Assertion (A): Wilful disobedience or non-compliance of Court orders and use of derogatory language about judicial behaviour amount to Contempt of Court.
Reason (R): Judicial activism cannot be practised without arming the judiciary with punitive powers to punish contemptuous behaviour.

In the context of the above two statements which one of the following is correct?

Official previous-year question

Verified 2 Aug 2026.

Options

ABoth A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
BBoth A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
CA is true but R is false
DA is false but R is true

Did you get this right?

Solution

Correct Option

Assertion (A) is true. The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, categorizes contempt into civil and criminal. Civil contempt involves wilful disobedience of any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ, or other process of a court, or wilful breach of an undertaking given to a court. Criminal contempt includes the publication of any matter or the doing of any other act which scandalizes or tends to scandalize, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of any court; prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with, the due course of any judicial proceeding; or interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner. Using derogatory language about judicial behaviour falls under criminal contempt. Articles 129 and 215 of the Constitution empower the Supreme Court and High Courts, respectively, to punish for contempt of themselves.

Reason (R) is also true. Judicial activism refers to the judiciary's proactive role in upholding constitutional values, protecting fundamental rights, and ensuring good governance, often through Public Interest Litigations (PILs) or issuing specific directions. For judicial orders and directions issued under judicial activism to be effective and to maintain the authority of the courts, the judiciary must possess punitive powers to enforce compliance and punish contemptuous behaviour. Without such powers, judicial pronouncements could be disregarded, rendering judicial activism ineffective.

However, Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A). Assertion (A) defines what constitutes contempt of court by listing specific acts. Reason (R) explains the functional necessity of contempt powers for the effective practice of judicial activism. While both statements are individually correct, R does not explain why the specific acts mentioned in A amount to contempt; instead, it elucidates the broader importance of contempt powers for the judiciary's role in judicial activism.

Incorrect Options

Option 1 is incorrect because while both A and R are true, R does not provide a direct explanation for A. R discusses the utility of contempt powers for judicial activism, not the definition of contempt itself.

Option 3 is incorrect because Reason (R) is a true statement, as explained above. The power to punish for contempt is crucial for the judiciary's authority and the enforceability of its orders, especially in the context of judicial activism.

Option 4 is incorrect because Assertion (A) is a true statement, as explained above. Wilful disobedience and derogatory language regarding judicial behaviour are indeed forms of contempt of court under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

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