Freedom of the Press in India

(i) Freedom of the Press.- (ii) Judicial opinions in India.- (iii) Judicial opinions in the United States.- (iv) Further judicial opinions in India.- I. Constitutional Provisions.- (i) Guarantee of freedom of expression.- (ii) Reasonableness of restrictions.- (iii) Prior restraints.- (a) Pre-censorship.- (b) Other prior restraints.- II. Sedition and Related Offences.- (i) The law of sedition in India.- (a) Introductory remarks.- (b) Section 124A of the Penal Code.- (c) Section 505 of the Penal Code.- (d) Police (Incitement to Disaffection) Act, 1922.- (e) Section 27B of the Post Office Act.- (f) Sections 181A to 181C of the Sea Customs Act.- (g) Section 108 of the Criminal Procedure Code.- (h) Sections 99A to 99G of the Criminal Procedure Code.- (ii) Promoting feelings of enmity between different classes.- (iii) The Official Secrets Act, 1923.- (iv) Endangering friendly relations with foreign states.- III. Public Order and Incitement to an Offence.- (i) Public order.- (a) Public order distinguished from security of State.- (b) Section 5 of the Indian Telegraph Act.- (c) Section 26 of the Post Office Act.- (d) Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.- (e) Section 295A of the Penal Code.- (f) Public Security Acts.- (g) Wide powers of the Executive.- (h) The expression “in the interests of public order”.- (ii) Incitement to an offence.- IV. Obscenity.- (i) What is obscene?.- (ii) Statutory provisions.- (a) Sections 292 and 293 of the Penal Code.- (b) Sections 18 and 19A of the Sea Customs Act.- (c) Section 20 of the Post Office Act.- (d) The Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act.- (iii) Problems of application.- V. Contempt of Court and of Legislature.- (i) The law of contempt of Court.- (ii) Constitutional provisions.- (iii) Statutory provisions.- (a) The Contempt of Court Act, 1952.- (b) Provisions in the Penal Code.- (c) Provisions in the Code of Criminal Procedure.- (iv) Procedure in contempt cases.- (v) Contempt of legislature.- VI. Defamation.- (i) Introductory remarks.- (ii) Civil liability.- (iii) Criminal liability.- (iv) Defamation of public servants.- (a) Section 198B of the Code of Criminal Procedure.- (b) Press Commission’s views.- (c) Suggested procedure.- (v) Suggested changes in the law of defamation.- VII. Conclusion.- (i) Article 19(2) of the Constitution.- (ii) The Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867.- (iii) Section 124A of the Penal Code.- (iv) Section 292 of the Penal Code.- (v) Section 295A of the Penal Code.- (vi) Contempt of Court.- (vii) Contempt of legislature.