New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India on Thursday appealed to the Supreme Court of India to review its recent judgment upholding the criminality of defamation so as to prevent the continued misuse of “such a tyrannical provision of law.”
In a statement, the Guild requested both the central and the state governments to have the law suitably amended to decriminalize defamation.
While expressing its deep “disquiet” over the continued misuse of the law that treats defamation as a criminal offence, the Guild said it is concerned that this provision in the Indian Penal Code is being employed by many litigants to intimidate journalists writing on matters of public interests and as a coercive tool to dissuade and even threaten the media from carrying out its legitimate responsibilities.
“The Guild recognises the right of an aggrieved individual to approach a court of law to seek relief against defamation. But the Guild maintains that defamation should be treated as a civil offence and respectfully disagrees with the Supreme Court’s recent judgment upholding the criminality of defamation,” the statement said.
