Social media commentator Mikhail Rodrigues, widely known as the ‘Guyanese Critic,’ was found guilty of contempt of court but was spared jail time by Justice Priscilla Chandra-Haniff at the High Court yesterday morning.
Rodrigues was subsequently fined $100,000, which he must pay within seven days to avoid a three-day jail sentence. He has also agreed to issue a public apology to the court.
The contempt charge stemmed from Rodrigues’ breach of Section 4 of the Contempt of Court Act No. 26 of 2010, which prohibits the use of any recording device in court without permission.
During a court hearing where Rodrigues had been sued by former APNU+AFC Minister, Simona Broomes, for defamatory statements, he live-streamed the entire proceedings, a clear violation of the law.
Justice Haniff expressed astonishment at the breach, stating, “The court was shocked to know that the entire proceedings were live-streamed.”
Rodrigues, who had been summoned for the contempt charge, now faces the financial penalty and the obligation to publicly apologise to the court.
