5/13/2016

Supreme Court verdict on criminal defamation laws

NATIONAL

May13,2016

SupremeCourtupholdsvalidityofcriminaldefamationlaw
KrishnadasRajagopal

TheHindu
RahulGandhi,ArvindKejriwalandSubramanianSwamyhavechallengedtheconstitutionalvalidityofsections499and500ofthe
IndianPenalCodeprovidingforcriminaldefamation.Filephotos

CourtgiveseightweekstoRahulGandhi,ArvindKejriwalandSubramanianSwamytochallengependingcriminaldefamationcasesin
HighCourtsorfacetrial.
TheSupremeCourtonFridayupheldthevalidityofthecriminaldefamationlaw.Thecourtpronounceditsverdictonabatchofpetitions
includingtheonesbyCongressvicepresidentRahulGandhi,DelhiChiefMinisterArvindKejriwalandBJPleaderSubramanianSwamy
challengingtheconstitutionalvalidityofsections499and500oftheIndianPenalCodeprovidingforcriminaldefamation.
Asithappened:
>>TheapexcourtgaveeightweekstopetitionersMr.Gandhi,Mr.KejriwalandMr.Swamytochallengependingcriminaldefamationcases
inHighCourtsorfacetrial.
>>Thelawhasnochillingeffectonfreespeech,theapexcourtsaid."Righttofreespeechisnotabsolute.Itdoesnotmeanfreedomtohurt
another'sreputationwhichisprotectedunderArticle21oftheConstitution".
>>ThepetitionershadarguedthatthecriminaldefamationunderthesesectionsoftheIPCtravelledbeyondconstitutionsarticle19(2)that
imposesreasonablerestrictiononthefreedomofspeechandexpression.

5/13/2016

Supreme Court verdict on criminal defamation laws

>>Thecentralgovernmenthaddefendedtheirretentiononthegroundsthatwhileinothercountries,defamationcasesaredecidedveryfast,
inIndiaittakesyearsevendecadesbeforetheyreachconclusion.
>>AttorneyGeneralMukulRohatgitoldthebenchinthecourseofthehearingonJuly8,2015,thatunlikeinBritainwheresuchcasesare
decidedveryfast,inIndia,ittakes10to20yearstodecidethem.
>>TheverdictwasreservedonAugust13,2015,afterthebenchofJusticeDipakMisraandJusticePrafullaC.Pantheardthematterspread
overamonth.Mr.Rohatgihadsaidthatthereweresufficientsafeguardsinarticle19(2)whichimposedreasonablerestrictionsoftherightto
freeexpressionandspeechguaranteedunderarticle19.
ThepositionwassupportedbyamicuscuriaeT.R.Andhyarujina.
(WithPTIandIANSinputs)