The Supreme Court on Monday (March 17) said that courts should not issue gag orders against media organisations and emphasised that fair criticism of a judicial order cannot be construed as contempt of court. 'Courts Can't Pass Gag Orders:' Says SC While Hearing ANI vs Wikipedia Case - The Wire
A bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan made the observations as it expressed concerns over a Delhi High Court directive requiring Wikipedia to remove within 36 hours a page that related to a pending defamation suit of Rs. 2 crore filed by news agency Asian News International (ANI) against the platform, reported Hindustan Times.
The bench also questioned the Delhi high court’s order in October last year which said that criticism of a judicial order by Wikipedia amounted to “interference in court proceedings.”
“Sometimes, someone says that you are sitting here with a preconceived mind or that you are not giving a proper hearing. People say things, and we have to tolerate it,” said the court.
18/03/2025