Attorney General for Western Australia v Marijanich

In the Supreme Court of Western Australia, the Attorney General sought a declaration that a juror, Marijanich, had committed criminal contempt by communicating with third parties during the course of a criminal trial. Marijanich had been a juror in a trial where he allegedly disclosed deliberations of the jury to third parties, in violation of his duty to maintain confidentiality. The court was required to determine whether Marijanich's actions amounted to criminal contempt and whether any penalty should be imposed. The court considered the principles of criminal contempt and the obligations of jurors to maintain confidentiality regarding their deliberations. The court held that Marijanich's actions constituted criminal contempt, as he had breached the fundamental duty of jurors to keep the deliberations of the jury confidential. The court further found that a fine was an appropriate penalty in the circumstances. Ultimately, the court made a declaration that Marijanich had committed criminal contempt and imposed a fine of $2,000.