Censorship and Films: Silencing the Cinematic Voice
by C. George Thomas* and Ansh Mittal**
freedom of expression
MP High Court grants bail to Government Model College Guest Faculty accused of circulating alleged WhatsApp posts to hurt religious sentiments of other community
“…simply on the ground of forwarding messages, video which may hurt the religious sentiment of community, a person cannot be indefinitely kept in jail.”
Bombay High Court strikes down IT Rules Amendment 2023; Major setback for Fact-Check Units
The case relates to IT Rules Amendment, 2023, when it allowed the government to set up Fact-Check Units (FCUs) to tackle misinformation against it, sparking fears of censorship and a chilling effect on free speech.
[Arvind Kejriwal Defamation Case] ‘Retweeting’ a defamatory imputation amounts to ‘publication’ for purpose of S 499 IPC: Delhi High Court
Though every ‘retweet’ of defamatory imputation would ordinarily amount to ‘publication’ under Section 499 IPC, it is ultimately for the aggrieved person to decide as to which retweet caused more harm to his reputation.
Counter-speech protecting interests of LGBTQ+ neither antithesis to public interest nor amounts to defamation; Canada SC dismisses SLAPP suit
In an anti-SLAPP ruling, Supreme Court of Canada dismissed defamation suit targeting counter counter-speech protecting rights of marginalised groups, i.e.; transgender and other 2SLGBTQ+ youth.
ECHR condemns Lithuania for marking LGBTQI+ fairy tale book with a warning label depicting it “unsafe for children”
“The General Court reiterated that a legislative ban on “promotion of homosexuality or non-traditional sexual relations” among minors does not serve to advance the legitimate aims of protection of morals, health or the rights of others and that by adopting such laws, the authorities reinforce stigma and prejudice and encourage homophobia, which is incompatible with the notions of equality, pluralism, and tolerance inherent in a democratic society.”
[Data Protection v. Right to Information] Google must de-reference/remove inaccurate data from search engine; ECJ rules
“A person’s image constitutes one of the chief attributes of his or her personality as it reveals the person’s unique characteristics and distinguishes the person from others. The right to the protection of one’s image is thus one of the essential components of personal development and mainly presupposes that person’s control over the use of that image, including the right to refuse publication of it.”
Why Do We Need Surveillance Reform in India? – Recent Developments
by Kamesh Shekar†
Cite as: 2021 SCC OnLine Blog Exp 82
J&K and Ladakh HC | “Anyone possessing knowledge of who is who can name the Minister holding portfolio of works”; HC quashes defamation complaint against Arnab Goswami and Aditya Raj Kaul
Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court: Sanjay Dhar, J., quashed a defamation complaint filed against the Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, Arnab
Law of Sedition in India and Freedom of Expression
by Justice Deepak Gupta
MeitY expresses dissatisfaction over ‘differential treatment’: Issue of using a hashtag on ‘farmer genocide’ taken up with Twitter executives & strong displeasure expressed
On the request of Twitter, Secretary Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India held a virtual interaction with Ms Monique
Dialectics of Freedom of Expression
by A. Lakshminath* and Mukund Sarda**
ECHR | Holocaust denial not protected by European Convention on Human Rights; interference with rights under Arts. 10 & 6 must be examined in context of special moral responsibility
European Court of Human Rights: The Seven-Judge Bench comprising of Yonko Grozev (President), Angelika Nußberger, André Potocki, Síofra O’Leary, M?rti?š Mits, Gabriele
SC stays Meghalaya HC judgment holding Editor and Publisher of Shillong Times guilty of contempt
Supreme Court: The Court has stayed the Meghalaya High Court judgment holding The Shillong Times editor Patricia Mukhim and publisher Shoba Chaudhuri
Observing ‘Padmaavat’ as a glorious tribute to Rajputana culture, FIRs quashed
Rajasthan High Court: While deciding the instant petition filed by director Sanjay Leela Bhansali seeking to quash the FIR filed under Sections
Dashkriya: Every artist has a right to freedom of expression
Bombay High Court: In the recent judgement, the Division Bench comprising of S.S. Shinde and Mangesh S. Patil, JJ., while deciding a
Artistic freedom of author Perumal Murugan, upheld
Madras High Court: While deliberating over the conflict between freedom of expression of a writer and offending moral and religious sentiments of