Two jailed for Contempt of Federal Magistrates Court

The Federal Magistrates Court descended into farce last week
, resulting in the jailing of a member of the public gallery who had sworn a contemptuous affidavit, and a self-represented litigant, who was in custody from Wednesday lunchtime.

Surprisingly, the case was not about family law, which comprises the bulk of the work of that court, but to do with a costs order arising from an unsuccessful attempt at a political career.

On Friday the litigant, Lesley Alexandra Noah was released from prison on the basis of three undertakings that she gave to the court: to be of good behaviour in court, to appear in court on the further hearing of the matter and (without any admission) not to harass a former Australian Electoral Commission official. The matter is next before the court in September.