SC TO DECIDE ON WHAT IS FREE SPEECH

Expressing concern over abusive comments in the social media, the Supreme Court has decided to examine whether right to free speech will include the right to insult other person’s right to dignity.

Expressing concern over abusive comments in social media, the Supreme Court on Thursday decided to examine by a larger bench whether right to free speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution will include the right to insult, abuse or defame other person’s right to dignity, protected under Article 21.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud referred the issue for adjudication by a five-judge bench.

The concern of the bench found strong support from two eminent lawyers, Fali S Nariman and Harish Salve, who are assisting the apex court in a matter relating to the comment made by former UP Minister Azam Khan in a highway gangrape case.

“I have deleted my Twitter account. It was so abusive,” Mr Salve said, adding that once when he was appearing in a case relating to a Christian medical college and the subsequent happenings on his Twitter handle forced him to delete it.

“I have stopped looking at them,” Nariman said and added that he was not on Twitter. He said comments about everything can be found on these platforms.