What is the difference between criminal contempt and civil contempt proceedings?
Saskatchewan, Canada
The following excerpt is from Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Mining Ltd. v. Todd et al., 1986 CanLII 3346 (SK QB):
One must not lose sight of the fact that the purpose of the civil proceedings is to enforce obedience to a court order issued in a civil action whereas the object of the criminal contempt proceeding is not the enforcement of the order but rather, punishment of contumacious behavior. Vide: Ellis v. R. (1893), 1893 CanLII 60 (SCC), 22 S.CR. 7, at p. 11. Only in an extraordinary or exceptional case will the court stay the action in the exercise of the discretion that it has arising out of its power to control its own proceeding.
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