On 4 June 2013, the President of the Family Division issed guidance on committal for contempt of court. This guidance supplements the Practice Guidance issued on 3 May 2013.

This guidance recognises that the Court of Protection (and the Family Division in proceedings relating to a child) is vested with a discretionary power to hear a committal application in private. It emphasises that this discretion should be exercised only in exceptional cases where it is necessary in the interests of justice.

The full guidance is available to download here.