Drawing by Arun Ferreira

Sedition law: Lawyers and free speech activists welcome SC order

12/05/2022

The Economic Times / by Vasudha Venugopal

Nagpur-based lawyer Nihalsingh Rathod, who represents many accused in the Elgar Parishad case said the legislature should have re-examined the relevance of sedition a long time ago. The Supreme Court’s interim order was an important step in rights jurisprudence, he said.
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KEEP THE SEDITION LAW IN ABEYANCE: SUPREME COURT RULES IN A HISTORIC ORDER [read order]

11/05/2022

Live Law / by Livelaw News Network

In a historic development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that the 152-year old sedition law under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code should be effectively kept in abeyance till the Union Government reconsiders the provision.
In an interim order, the Court urged the Centre and the State governments to refrain from registering any FIRs under the said provision while it was under re-consideration.
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A Decade of Darkness: Our New Database Reveals How A Law Discarded By Most Democracies Is Misused In India

04/02/2022

Article 14 / by Lubhyathi Rangarajan

For 151 years, Indians expressing their right to free speech and expression have faced the prospect of being accused of sedition: ‘showing disaffection’ towards the State under section 124A of the Indian Penal Code. Our new database counts 13,000 people charged with sedition between 2010-2021 and provides unprecedented insight into India’s use of a law discarded by most democracies. Its use has risen inexorably over the last decade, most recently against public protests, dissent, social-media posts, criticism of the government and even over cricket results.
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Also read:
● Explainer: How the Sedition Law Has Been Used in the Modi Era (The Wire / Mai 2022)