As per legal terminology, the term sanction essentially pertains to the process of levying court-mandated penalties, corporal punishment, or the enforcement of any court order to compel the disobedient or non-compliant party to take heed of the court’s process and order without being intentionally or unintentionally neglectful.
Criminal sanctions can come in a variety of forms, such as capital punishment (which occurs in severe violations or crimes against humanity), corporal punishments, such as incarcerations, monetary penalties, such as heavy fines, etc.
In the context of family law, a court-ordered sanction may typically denote monetary fines that are ordered against a party in a lawsuit (civil law), against a disobedient attorney (for not following procedure), or in a divorce discovery process, if one party continues to remain non-compliant.
A Glimpse of the Types of Sanctions a Court Can OrderÂ
There are different types of sanctions that can be ordered by the court depending on the severity of the offense. Let’s look at some of the common sanctions.
Financial Penalties
These are primarily imposed on individuals for disingenuous behavior, such as frivolous lawsuits, contempt of court, and causing consistent delays in the court process.
Reprimands
These occur against individuals who commit less severe violations and are typically provided written or verbal warnings by the court.
Dismissing a Claim
This happens when one party neglects to follow the court’s proceedings and does not respect its laws. In this case, a judge can order a sanction to dismiss the case.
Striking Petitions
This happens when one party is seen to be non-compliant. The court reserves the right to sanction the dismissal of documents and evidence in this scenario.