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Four band council members, lawyer guilty of contempt; one acquitted.
The applicant brought a motion for contempt of court against five band council members and their lawyer for failing to comply with a previous order imposing fines and costs for an earlier contempt.
Instead of paying the amounts to the Court Registry or the applicant as ordered, four of the council members and their lawyer set up a scheme to hold the funds in the lawyer's trust account pending an appeal and a stay application.
The Federal Court found four of the council members and the lawyer guilty of contempt of court, concluding they intentionally disobeyed the order and interfered with the administration of justice.
One council member was acquitted due to a genuine inability to pay.
