International Research journal of Management Science and Technology

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CONSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS OF MEDIA FREEDOM: AN OVERVIEW

    1 Author(s):  MR. NILANCHALA SETHY

Vol -  5, Issue- 12 ,         Page(s) : 76 - 94  (2014 ) DOI : https://doi.org/10.32804/IRJMST

Abstract

The Preamble to the Constitution of India resolved to secure for the citizens of India, liberty of thought, expression and belief. The freedom of thought and expression and the freedom of the press and media are not only valuable freedoms in themselves, but are basic to a democratic form of Government which proceeds on the theory that problems of Government can be solved by the free exchange of thought and by public discussion. Protection of freedom of speech and expression is also essential for ones development. The freedom is guaranteed not only by the constitution of various countries but also by several international instruments, such as Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, European Convention on Human Rights and fundamental freedoms, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights etc. The Constitution of India guarantees the freedom in Article 19 (1) (a). The media derives its rights from the right to freedom of speech and expression available to the citizen. Thus, the media has the same rights no more and no less than any individual’s right to write, publish, circulate or broadcast.

  1.  . www.businessdictionary.com/definition/media.html.last visited on 7.12.2013
  2.  . Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chief Justice of India, ‘The Constitution, the media and the   Courts’, The  Fourth K.S. Rajamony Memorial Public Law Lecture (Kochi - August 9,   2008). 
  3.  . The observations made by Justice A.P. Sen., as he then was, in Express Newspapers (P)   Ltd. v. Union of India, (1986) 1 SCC.
  4.  . May 3 was proclaimed as World Press Freedom Day by the UN General Assembly in 1993   following    Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991.
  5.  . Dogra, P.C.; “Manipulating media by Fear”, cover story, Media critique,January-March-  2011,p. 11. 
  6.  . United Nations, “Joint Message for World Press Freedom Day 3 May 2001”. A leaflet   published by United Nations, UNESCO, and UN High Commissioner for Human      Rights.
  7. 7. Prof.(Dr) M.K. Bhandari. A.I.R. Journal March 2012 p.36, Article: Hate Speech and Freedom of Expression:   Balancing Social Good and Individual Liberty.
  8.  . Ibid.
  9.   . Ibid.
  10.   . Anthony Cortes, Opposing Hate Speech 15(2006)
  11.  . 18th First Amendment provides “In relevant part, that Congress shall make no    law….abridging the freedom of Speech or of the press….”
  12.  . (1985) 1 SCC 641
  13.  . A.I.R. 1950 SC 27, 1950 SCR 88.
  14.   . (1970) 3 SCC 746, A.I.R 1971 SC 2486
  15.   . The word appear in Clause (2) of Article 19 of the Constitution of India.
  16.   . (1953) Pat. 1069 (54) A.P. 203; rel. on in K.P. Noordeen v A.K. Gopalan (68) A. Ker 301, 309 (held that a law which prohibited speech with reference to a case which was pending or imminent in such manner as to interfere with the course of justice, and which provided for the punishment of such interference after due trial, imposed only reasonable restrictions, substantive and procedural on the freedom of speech). The observations in R.K. Garg v S.A. Azad (57) A.A. 37 that contempt of court was not defined because it was intended to keep it flexible in the light of Article 19(2) are it is, submitted not correct.
  17.   . However, the Contempt of Courts Act, 19071 has defined “Contempt of Court” as follows (Unless the context otherwise requires); (a) “contempt of court” means civil contempt or criminal contempt (b) “civil contempt” means willful disobedience to any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court or willful breach of an undertaking given to a court; (c) “criminal contempt” means the publication (whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations or otherwise) of any matter or the doing of any other act whatsoever which (i) scandalizes or tends to scandalize, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of any court or (ii) prejudices, or interfercs or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner. It will be seen that the definition enacts in a statutory form the well-recognized meaning which the words “contempt of court” had acquired in England and in India. In view of this definition, the argument scriously processed in E.T. Sen v E. Narayanan (69) A Del. 201(F.B) and rejected after an elaborate discussion of Supreme Court decisions no longer survives. It is submitted that independently of the definition, the argument was untenable as the Full Bench judgment clearly shows.
  18.   . (1953) 1 All 796 (53) A.A. 342.
  19.   . (1918) 249 U.S. 47, 53 I ed, 470, 473-4. In Babulal Parate’s case 91961) 3 S.C.R. 423 (61)A.SC 884,  our Sup. Ct. rejected the test of clear and present danger laid down in Schenck’s case. Para 10.36 of the text.
  20.  . H.M.Seervai, Fourth Edition, Silver Jubilee Edition, Vol.1, Universal Law Publishing Co, New Delhi, p.750.
  21.  .  AIT 2010-340-SC 13 Aug 2010.
  22.   . General Clause  Act, 1897, Section 3(38)
  23.   . Supdt. Central Prison v Ram Monohar Lohia, A.I.R 1960 SC 633.
  24.   . State of Bihar v Shailabala Devi, AIR 1952 SC 329.
  25.   . Corwin, p. 769.
  26.  . Life Insurance Corporation of India v. Manubhai D Shah,1992 (3) SCC 637
  27.  . A.I.R 1950 SC 124.
  28.  . 1960 (2) SCR 671.
  29.  . 1995(2) SCC 161.
  30.  . Sahara India Real Estate Corporation Ltd. V. Securities & Exchange Board of India 
  31.         AIR 2012 SC 3829
  32.  . “Media can be gagged to ensure fair trial, says SC”, The Hindu, Sept 12, 2012
  33.  . Press Council Act, 1978, Section 13(1).
  34.  . Press Council Act, 1978, Section 13(2) (c).
  35.  . Press Council Act, 1978, Section 13(2) (d).
  36.  . Sir William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England,  A Facsimile of the First 
  37.        Edition of 1765-1769,  ISBN 0226055477, 9780226055473
  38.  . 1959 SCR 12.
  39.  . A.I.R 1959 SC 395.
  40.  . Section 3(1) of Criminal Procedure Act, 1973.

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