What is the difference between criminal contempt and civil contempt?
British Columbia, Canada
The following excerpt is from Majormaki Holdings LLP v. Wong, 2009 BCCA 349 (CanLII):
The chambers judge recognized the difference between civil and criminal contempt. In his reasons finding the contempt to be established, at paras. 14 and 15, he expressly adopted the test for civil contempt. In his reasons on penalty, at para. 11, he cited Law Society of British Columbia v. Hanson, 2004 BCSC 825, for the proper considerations to be applied in imposing a penalty for civil contempt. At para. 22 of those reasons, he discussed the different goals served by penalties for civil and criminal contempt:
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