DIPAK MISRA, PRAFULLA C.PANT
Subramanian Swamy – Appellant
Versus
Union of India – Respondent
Certainly. Based on the provided legal document, the key points are as follows:
The constitutional validity of Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and Sections 199(1) to 199(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, was examined and upheld (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) .
The right to freedom of speech and expression is not absolute; it is subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order, morality, sovereignty, and other societal interests (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) .
The scope of "defamation" in the constitutional context includes both civil and criminal aspects, and the word "defamation" in Article 19(2) is to be understood broadly, not narrowly, to encompass criminal defamation (!) (!) (!) (!) .
The provisions for criminal defamation, including Sections 499 and 500 IPC, are designed to protect an individual's reputation, which is recognized as an integral part of human dignity and personal security (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) .
The Explanations and Exceptions to the main provisions are specific, clear, and serve to delineate the boundaries of permissible speech, ensuring that the law is not vague or arbitrary (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) .
The procedural safeguards, such as the requirement of a complaint by a "person aggrieved," and the involvement of public prosecutors and prior sanctions, aim to prevent frivolous or malicious prosecutions and ensure that the law is applied judiciously (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) .
The doctrine of proportionality and the test of reasonableness are fundamental in assessing the constitutional validity of restrictions on free speech, ensuring that restrictions are not excessive or unjustified (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) .
Balancing individual rights, such as the right to reputation under Article 21, with the right to free speech under Article 19(1)(a), is a core judicial function, requiring careful consideration of societal interests and constitutional values (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) .
The concept of "public good" and "public interest" as exceptions to defamation are to be interpreted based on context and factual circumstances, with the onus on the defendant to prove good faith and public interest (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) .
The constitutional framework emphasizes that fundamental rights are not absolute and must be harmonized through balancing principles, including the promotion of social harmony, fraternity, and collective interest (!) (!) (!) (!) (!) .
These points collectively reflect the court's reasoning and the principles guiding the constitutional validity and scope of laws related to defamation and free speech.
JUDGMENT
Dipak Misra, J.—This batch of writ petitions preferred under Article 32 of the Constitution of India exposits cavil in its quintessential conceptuality and percipient discord between venerated and exalted right of freedom of speech and expression of an individual, exploring manifold and multilayered, limitless, unbounded and unfettered spectrums, and the controls, restrictions and constrictions, under the assumed power of “reasonableness” ingrained in the statutory provisions relating to criminal law to reviver and uphold one’s reputation. The assertion by the Union of India and the complainants is that the reasonable restrictions are based on the paradigms and parameters of the Constitution that are structured and pedestaled on the doctrine of non-absoluteness of any fundamental right, cultural and social ethos, need and feel of the time, for every right engulfs and incorporates duty to respect other’s right and ensure mutual compatibility and conviviality of the individuals based on collective harmony and conceptual grace of eventual social order; and the asseveration on the part of the petitioners is that freedom of thought and expression cannot be scuttled or abridged
R. Rajagopal alias R.R. Gopal v. State of T.N.
Jacob Mathew v. State of Punjab
Shreya Singhal v. Union of India
Pandey Surindra Nath Sinha v. Bageshwari Pd.
Board of Trustees of the Port of Bombay v. Dilipkumar Raghavendranath Nadkarni
Kiran Bedi v. Committee of Inquiry
Mehmood Nayyar Azam v. State of Chhatisgarh
Vishwanath Agrawal v. Saral Vishwanath Agrawal
Umesh Kumar v. State of Andhra Pradesh
Kishore Samrite v. State of Uttar Pradesh
Nilgiris Bar Association v. T.K. Mahalingam
Om Prakash Chautala v. Kanwar Bhan
State of Gujarat v. Hon’ble High Court of Gujarat
State of Bihar v. Shailabala Devi
Brij Bhushan v. State of Delhi
S.R. Chaudhuri v. State of Punjab
Special Reference No. 1 of 2002, In re (Gujarat Assembly Election matter)
His Holiness Kesavananda Bharati Sripadagalvaru v. State of Kerala
Manoj Narula v. Union of India
Superintendent and Remembrancer of Legal Affairs v. Corporation of Calcutta
State of Bombay v. Hospital Mazdoor Sabha
Bank of India v. Vijay Transport, 1988 Supp SCC 47
R.L. Arora v. State of Uttar Pradesh, (1964) 6 SCR 784
Godfrey Phillips India Ltd. v. State of U.P.
Ahmedabad Pvt. Primary Teachers’ Assn. v. Administrative Officer
K. Bhagirathi G. Shenoy v. K.P. Ballakuraya
Reserve Bank of India v. Peerless General Finance and Investment Co. Ltd.
State of Maharashtra v. Sujay Mangesh Poyarekar
Mohd. Shahabuddin v. State of Bihar
Vinay Devanna Nayak v. Ryot Sewa Sahakari Bank Ltd.
R. Sai Bharathi v. J. Jayalalitha
T.K. Gopal alias Gopi v. State of Karnataka
Kartar Singh v. State of Punjab
Harpreet Kaur (Mrs) v. State of Maharashtra
West Bengal v. Subodh Gopal Bose
Kameshwar Prasad v. State of Bihar, 1962 Supp. (3) SCR 369
Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Private Ltd. v. Union of India
Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras
Express Newspaper (Private) Ltd. v. Union of India, AIR 1958 SC 578
All India Bank Employees’ Association v. National Industrial Tribunal (Bank Disputes), Bombay
Sakal Papers (P) Ltd. v. Union of India
Bennett Coleman & Co. v. Union of India
Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India v. Cricket Association of Bengal
Union of India v. Motion Picture Association
Union of India v. Naveen Jindal
Government of Andhra Pradesh v. P. Laxmi Devi
Ramlila Maidan Incident, In re
Sahara India Real Estate Corporation Ltd. v. Securities and Exchange Board of India
State of Karnataka v. Associated Management of English Medium Primary and Secondary Schools
Devidas Ramachandra Tuljapurkar v. State of Mahrashtra
Odyssey Communications Pvt. Ltd. v. Lokvidayan Sanghatana
S. Rangarajan v. P. Jagjivan Ram
Ranjit D. Udeshi v. State of Maharashtra
Chandrakant Kalyandas Kakodkar v. State of Maharashtra
Directorate General of Doordarshan v. Anand Patwardhan
Ajay Goswami v. Union of India
Bobby Art International v. Om Pal Singh Hoon
Chintaman Rao v. State of M.P.
Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India
M/s Laxmi Khandsari v. State of U.P.
Bishambhar Dayal Chandra Mohan v. State of Uttar Pradesh
Papnasam Labour Union v. Madura Coats Ltd.
Francis Coralie Mullin v. Administrator, Union Territory of Delhi
Chameli Singh v. State of U.P.
Siddharam Satlingappa Mhetre v. State of Maharashtra
Haridas Das v. Usha Rani Banik
Charu Khurana v. Union of India
Acharya Maharajshri Narendra Prasadji Anandprasadji Maharaj v. The State of Gujarat
St. Stephen’s College v. University of Delhi
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh v. Faculty Association
Ram Jethmalani v. Union of India
Mohd. Arif alias Ashfaq v. Registrar, Supreme Court of India
Kedar Nath Singh v. State of Bihar
Ramji Lal Modi v. State of U.P.
Indra Sawhney v. Union of India
AIIMS Students’ Union v. AIIMS
P.A. Inamdar v. State of Maharashtra
Jeffrey J. Diermeier v. State of West Bengal
State of Jammu and Kashmir v. Triloki Nath Khosa
Melepurath Sankuni Ezhuthassan v. Thekittil Geopalankutty Nair
M. Veerappa v. Evelyn Sequeira
Sahib Singh Mehra v. State of Uttar Pradesh
G. Narasimhan, G. Kasturi and K. Gopalan v. T.V. Chokkappa
Aneeta Hada v. Godfather Travels & Tours (P) Ltd.
Harakchand Ratanchand Banthia v Union of India
Harbhajan Singh v. State of Punjab
Sukra Mahto v. Basdeo Kumar Mahto
Jatish Chandra Ghosh v. Hari Sadhan Mukherjee
Rajendra Kumar Sitaram Pande v. Uttam
Sewakram Sobhani v. R.K. Karanjia
Modern Dental College & Research Centre v. State of Madhya Pradesh
P.P. Enterprises v. Union of India
Mohd Hanif Quareshi. v. State of Bihar
MRF Ltd. v. Inspector, Kerala Govt.
D.C. Saxena (Dr) v. Hon’ble The Chief Justice of India
John Thomas v. Dr. K. Jagadeesan
M.S. Jayaraj v. Commr. of Excise
In Special Courts Bill, 1978, In re
Yogendra Kumar Jaiswal v. State of Bihar
Ram Krishna Dalmia v. S.R. Tendolkar
Satyawati Sharma v. Union of India
Bairam Muralidhar v. State of Andhra Pradesh
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.