The first person in NSW to be charged with "disrespectful behaviour" in court is a Muslim woman who allegedly refused to stand for a Sydney judge in court.
In late 2016, Sydney woman Moutia Elzahed refused to stand for District Court Judge Audrey Balla or remove her veil during a hearing.
On Tuesday, the justice department said Elzahed was issued with court attendance notices for nine counts of "disrespectful behaviour in court".
The NSW law, which makes it an offence for someone to intentionally behave disrespectfully to a court or judge during a case, came into effect in September 2016.
NSW Solicitor-General Michael Sexton said in an earlier statement he had decided against contempt of court proceedings against Elzahed, and instead had authorised proceedings to start under the new disrespectful behaviour in court law.
Elzahed's husband Hamdi Alqudsi was jailed in the Supreme Court in September for arranging seven men to travel to Syria to fight with terrorist groups.
Late last year Elzahed was in Judge Balla's court trying to sue over alleged police violence during a 2014 raid on her family's Revesby house.
She's expected to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on June 15.
Share
