Criminal Defamation Should Be Retained As Offence: Law Panel

The 22nd Law Commission has recommended that criminal defamation should be retained within the scheme of criminal laws in India, the Law Ministry said on Friday.

The panel submitted its report to the Ministry on Thursday. In its report, the Law Commission argued that the right to reputation is derived from Article 21 of the Constitution that guarantees the right to life and personal liberty and that is why it has to be protected.

“Reputation is something which can’t be seen and can only be earned. It’s an asset which is built in a lifetime and destroyed in seconds. The whole jurisprudence around the law on criminal defamation has the essence of protecting one’s reputation and its facets,” it said.