Coroner's Court has jurisdiction to hear and decide on committal proceedings, rules Appeals Court

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has ruled that a Magistrate's Court has the jurisdiction to punish for contempt of court regardless of whether the offence is committed in the face of the court or outside.

In a unanimous decision, a three-man panel chaired by Justice Suraya Othman said the court found no merit in the argument by lawyer Datuk S. Ambiga, who represented former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, that a Magistrate's power to punish was limited to contempt in the face of the court alone due to the words used in the provision.