The affidavits field in the Supreme Court by the Booker prize winner Arundhati Roy, the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar and the NBA's counsel Prashant Bhushan in response to allegations made by a group of lawyers in a contempt petition against them (Frontline, March 30, 2001) have sparked a lively debate on what constitutes contempt of court and on the powers of the judiciary to punish those found guilty of contempt.