The Supreme Court has highlighted the problem of the affluent getting pre-trial injunctions from courts against the media and civil society, gagging free speech and the public’s right to information about important affairs.
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said such ex-parte interim injunctions granted by courts rather mechanically spell a death sentence to journalistic stories even before the allegations against them are proven right, if ever.
“The constitutional mandate of protecting journalistic expression cannot be understated, and courts must tread cautiously while granting pre-trial interim injunctions,” the top court said.
