Section 11 of the Contempt of Courts Act 1971: High Court Jurisdiction Beyond Local Limits

Section 11 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 deals with the territorial reach of a High Court in contempt proceedings. It makes clear that the High Court's jurisdiction is not defeated merely because the alleged contempt occurred outside its local territorial limits or because the person accused of contempt is outside those limits.

The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 is Act No. 70 of 1971. The Act defines and limits the powers of certain courts in punishing contempt and regulates the procedure relating to contempt proceedings. For the official statutory text, see the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 on India Code.

Text of Section 11

Section 11 - Power of High Court to try offences committed or offenders found outside jurisdiction A High Court shall have jurisdiction to inquire into or try a contempt of itself or of any court subordinate to it, whether the contempt is alleged to have been committed within or outside the local limits of its jurisdiction, and whether the person alleged to be guilty of contempt is within or outside such limits.

Meaning and Scope of Section 11

Section 11 is a jurisdictional provision. It confirms that a High Court may inquire into or try contempt of itself and contempt of a court subordinate to it even when the alleged contempt has a territorial element outside the ordinary local limits of that High Court.

The provision addresses two distinct situations. First, the alleged act of contempt may have been committed outside the local limits of the High Court's jurisdiction. Second, the person alleged to be guilty of contempt may be physically present outside those limits. Neither circumstance, by itself, removes the jurisdiction conferred by Section 11.

What Is Contempt of Court?

Section 2 of the Act defines "contempt of court" to mean civil contempt or criminal contempt. Civil contempt broadly concerns wilful disobedience of a judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court, or wilful breach of an undertaking given to a court. Criminal contempt covers specified publications or other acts that scandalise or tend to scandalise a court, prejudice or interfere with judicial proceedings, or otherwise interfere with or obstruct the administration of justice.

Read the site's detailed provision at Section 2 - Definitions.

Section 11 and Contempt of Subordinate Courts

Section 11 should be read with Section 10. Section 10 deals with the High Court's power in respect of contempt of courts subordinate to it, while Section 11 clarifies the territorial reach of the High Court's jurisdiction to inquire into or try contempt.

Important Practical Points

The provision applies to contempt of the High Court itself as well as contempt of a court subordinate to that High Court.
The place where the alleged contempt occurred does not, by itself, bar jurisdiction merely because it lies outside the High Court's local limits.
The physical presence of the person alleged to be guilty outside the High Court's local limits does not, by itself, remove the jurisdiction stated in Section 11.
Section 11 concerns jurisdiction. Other provisions of the Act continue to govern matters such as cognizance, procedure, punishment, appeals and limitation.

Related Provisions

For criminal contempt other than contempt in the face of the Supreme Court or a High Court, Section 15 deals with cognizance. Section 17 deals with procedure after cognizance, and Section 20 deals with limitation for initiating contempt proceedings.

Legal note: Section 11 should be applied together with the other relevant provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 and the applicable constitutional and procedural principles. The precise procedure and maintainability of a contempt proceeding depend on the facts and the nature of the alleged contempt.

Official Legal Resource

The current central Act can be checked on the Government of India's India Code portal: Official text of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

Page reviewed against the official statutory text available as of September 20, 2026.