The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that the power of contempt of court is neither a shield for judges' personal protection nor a weapon to suppress criticism. The court said - mercy and forgiveness are equally important in justice, especially when a person admits their mistake.

This observation was made by a bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta while overturning an order of the Bombay High Court. In this decision, a woman was sentenced to one week in jail and a fine of Rs 2,000 in a suo motu criminal contempt case.

The Supreme Court said that since the woman had admitted her mistake and apologized, the sentence is waived.

The woman was the former director of Seawoods Estates Limited Housing Society. She was accused of issuing a notice in January 2025, which used words

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