Page:Superior Courts Act 2013.pdf/19



Court may order removal of certain persons

41. (1) Any person who, during the sitting of any Superior Court—

wilfully insults any member of the court or any officer of the court present at the sitting, or who wilfully hinders or obstructs any member of any Superior Court or any officer thereof in the exercise of his or her powers or the performance of his or her duties;

wilfully interrupts the proceedings of the court or otherwise misbehaves himself or herself in the place where the sitting of the court is held; or

does anything calculated improperly to inﬂuence any court in respect of any matter being or to be considered by the court,

may, by order of the court, be removed and detained in custody until the court adjourns.

(2) Removal and detention in terms of subsection (1) does not preclude the prosecution in a court of law of the person concerned on a charge of contempt of court.

Scope and execution of process

42. (1) The process of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal runs throughout the Republic, and their judgments and orders must, subject to any applicable rules of court, be executed in any area in like manner as if they were judgments or orders of the Division or the Magistrates' Court having jurisdiction in such area.

(2) The civil process of a Division runs throughout the Republic and may be served or executed within the jurisdiction of any Division.

(3) Any warrant or other process for the execution of a judgment given or order issued against any juristic person, partnership or firm may be executed by attachment of the property or assets of such juristic person, partnership or firm.

Execution of process by sheriff

43. (1) The sheriff must, subject to the applicable rules, execute all sentences, judgments, writs, summonses, rules, orders, warrants, commands and processes of any Superior Court directed to the sheriff and must make return of the manner of execution thereof to the court and to the party at whose instance they were issued.

(2) The return of the sheriff or a deputy sheriff of what has been done upon any process of a court, shall be prima facie evidence of the matters therein stated.

(3) The sheriff must receive and cause to be detained all persons arrested by order of the court or committed to his or her custody by any competent authority.

(4) A refusal by the sheriff or a deputy sheriff to do any act which he or she is by law required to do, is subject to review by the court concerned on application ex parte or on notice as the circumstances may require.

Transmission of summonses, writs and other process and of notice of issue thereof

44. (1) (a) In any civil proceedings before a Superior Court, any summons, writ, warrant, rule, order, notice, document or other process of a Superior Court, or any other communication which by any law, rule or agreement of parties is required or directed to be served or executed upon any person, or left at the house or place of abode or business of any person, in order that such person may be affected thereby, may be transmitted by fax or by means of any other electronic medium as provided by the rules.

(b) The document received or printed as a result of the transmission contemplated in paragraph (a) is of the same force and effect as if the original had been shown to or a copy thereof served or executed upon the person concerned, or left as aforesaid, as the case may be.