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Gautam Bhatia

Gautam Bhatia

Articles by Gautam Bhatia

A Bill for Big Brother to weaponise speech

The issue with this bill is that the line between “fact” and “opinion” is nowhere near as clear as the Bill would have us believe. This is especially true in contexts of political speech or public dissent, where the freedom of speech is particularly important. (PTI)

Published on Jul 17, 2025 08:42 pm IST

Crossing the red lines on the right to free speech

The judiciary does not have the power to gag or silence someone; it is only empowered to determine whether the government’s decision to do so is constitutional or unconstitutional (Hindustan Times)

Published on May 22, 2025 07:21 pm IST

What the court is not expected to tell media

The Indian judiciary should avoid becoming a forum of choice for people to have critical or unflattering analysis about themselves on Wikipedia be taken down by a judicial orde (Hindustan Times)

Updated on May 16, 2025 09:55 pm IST

How the Supreme Court spoke out for free speech

In the Imran Prataphgarhi judgment, the Court clearly set its teeth against the heckler’s veto (Hindustan Times)

Published on Apr 05, 2025 08:03 pm IST

What the Court missed in the Allahbadia case

New Delhi, Jan 27 (ANI): Supreme Court of India complex illuminates in Tricolour as part of 76th Republic Day celebrations, in New Delhi on Monday. (ANI Photo/Ritik Jain) (Ritik Jain)

Updated on Feb 24, 2025 08:32 pm IST

Draft data protection rules can be improved

Children sit and play games on a mobile phone along the banks of river Ganges on a foggy evening in Kolkata, India, November 26, 2024. REUTERS/Sahiba Chawdhary (REUTERS)

Published on Jan 08, 2025 08:18 pm IST

India’s constitutional tenets, structure may need reflection

The Constitution was framed over a period of three years, during the tumult of the Partition (HT Archive)

Updated on Dec 01, 2024 05:06 am IST

How SC read the right to property and its limits

Justice Chandrachud was quite clear that certain kinds of private property would fall within the meaning of “material resources” (REUTERS)

Updated on Nov 20, 2024 08:20 pm IST

When the Supreme Court takes on the bulldozer

Ayodhya: A bulldozer being used to demolish the bakery of Moid Khan who is accused of allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl, in Ayodhya, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (PTI Photo) (PTI)

Published on Sept 16, 2024 08:57 pm IST

K’taka Bill misses gig workers’ primary ask

Gig workers prepare to deliver orders outside Swiggy's grocery warehouse at a market area in New Delhi, India, May 6, 2024. REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh (REUTERS)

Published on Jul 29, 2024 09:08 pm IST

The importance of being the Speaker

The Parliament House in New Delhi, India, on Monday, June 24, 2024. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vast domestic agenda is in jeopardy after his party failed to win an outright majority in parliament for the first time in a decade, forcing it to work with a coalition of parties and grapple with an expanded opposition bench. Photographer: Prakash Singh/Bloomberg (Bloomberg)

Published on Jun 24, 2024 08:10 pm IST

The Bombay high court strikes a blow for liberty

The Bombay high court. (HT File Photo)

Published on May 03, 2024 10:53 pm IST

Apex court muzzles a media silencing tool

Supreme Court of India. (File Photo)

Published on Apr 15, 2024 10:00 pm IST

A restatement of the basic law on obscenity

The Supreme Court (HT FILE PHOTO)

Published on Apr 01, 2024 10:00 pm IST

Code that is neither uniform nor lawful

The Uttarakhand UCC is best understood as a continuation of an existing legal framework, rather than something new and unprecedented (PTI Photo)

Published on Feb 25, 2024 01:19 pm IST

Heed the advice of justices on evictions

A recent order of the Allahabad high court (HC) is important in its reaffirmation of the progressive ethos of the Constitution.. (HT Archive)

Published on Jan 31, 2024 10:00 pm IST

In Bilkis Bano order, the rule of law is upheld

A protest rally in support of Bilkis Bano in Kolkata in August 2022. (AFP/File)

Published on Jan 09, 2024 10:15 pm IST

New Bill casts a cloud over EC appointments

Election Commission of India (Representative Photo)

Published on Dec 22, 2023 10:17 pm IST

Will Big Brother be watching?

One hopes that as the Bill progresses through Parliament, the focus will shift from control to regulation (PTI)

Published on Nov 28, 2023 10:11 pm IST

State regulation of film reviews is a risky business

Between a nuanced critique of a film, and a crude and intentional attempt to blackmail or extort money from a director, there is an entire spectrum that belongs in a grey area.(HT Archive)

Published on Nov 03, 2023 10:40 pm IST

Gig workers law deepens industrial democracy

The term gig workers refers to those who are engaged in any income-generating activity as freelancers or on a temporary basis. (Shutterstock)

Published on Oct 17, 2023 10:22 pm IST

Safeguard the election panel’s independence

A few months ago, the Supreme Court held that the selection of the CEC must be done by a three-member committee comprising the Prime Minister (PM), the Leader of Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) (Representative Photo)

Published on Aug 17, 2023 09:55 pm IST

Bhima Koregaon bail curbs State impunity

Supreme Court of India (File Photo)

Published on Aug 02, 2023 10:06 pm IST

Bail hearings in Delhi riots cases can be a test for liberty under UAPA

A prominent case is that of Umar Khalid, whose denial of bail by the trial court and the Delhi high court was on flimsy grounds, resting primarily on his being part of a WhatsApp group whose stated task was to coordinate protests, and a speech that he gave(ANI)

Published on Jul 11, 2023 09:09 pm IST

Courts and law enforcement must combat hate together

In Uttarakhand, reports said the doors of the homes of some Muslim residents were marked with identifying signs by fringe groups, which also pasted posters and held rallies asking Muslims to leave the area. it is evident that what happened constitutes hate speech(ANI)

Published on Jun 27, 2023 09:46 pm IST

Top court must strike down the sedition law

Regardless of whether the government accepts or rejects the Law Commission’s proposed changes, it is long overdue for the Supreme Court to take up this case again, and strike down sedition once and for all. (AP File )

Updated on Jun 06, 2023 01:22 pm IST

Andhra HC’s model for shielding citizens’ rights

(Shutterstock)

Updated on May 28, 2023 08:06 pm IST

The real bite of SC’s MediaOne ruling

The Supreme Court invalidated the government’s ban on MediaOne for failing to respect the channel’s due process rights (HT PHOTO)

Updated on Apr 09, 2023 08:29 pm IST

A desolation Called Peace: Finality of Bhopal gas leak case is another tragedy

What the SC failed to adequately consider was the argument that the settlement amount had been arrived at on the basis of the suppression of crucial facts. (ANI)

Updated on Mar 24, 2023 09:36 pm IST

A new deal to protect India’s gig workers?

While gig work does not resemble the employment relationship of the factory owner and the worker, it exhibits all the hallmarks of institutionalised power differences and subordination that make labour laws important in the first place. (PTI)

Published on Mar 18, 2023 07:18 pm IST

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