SC may review criminal defamation laws: What it means

India Sep 24, 2025

The Supreme Court of India is thinking about reviewing the country's criminal defamation laws, which date back to colonial times.
This could shake up its 2016 decision that kept criminal defamation a crime, and it all comes as part of a case between a JNU professor and The Wire over a controversial article from 2016.

Potential changes in balancing act

Defamation in India can land you in civil or even criminal trouble, and critics say the current law can chill free speech—especially for journalists and activists.
With the Supreme Court now questioning whether these old laws fit with modern democracy, there is potential for changes in how free expression and personal reputation are balanced in India.