BACK in the eighties, we have often wondered why police horses, which were thoroughbreds, were still being bought from Multan. The explanation lay in the repeal of the Police Act of 1861 after a petition was filed by Prakash Singh in the Supreme Court. The Court not only found the Act obsolete and outdated and held that it was null and void, it also asked various state governments to legislate their own police acts. Accordingly, some states put legislation in place, while others adopted their Acts without making local changes as might have been required.
Now Kerala has taken the lead in introducing penalty for the misuse of social media by way of an ordinance in the Kerala Police Act. Otherwise also, the Kerala model is remarkable because it seeks to incorporate many grey areas which had hitherto not clearly been spelled out in terms of norms, rules, regulations, implementation and punishment.
This time, the Kerala government has decided to amend the Police Act to check increasing abuse on social media and cyber crime. The cabinet decided to recommend to the governor to issue an ordinance to incorporate Section 118(A) into the Act to punish anyone who creates or sends information that is offensive, intended to offend or threaten another person through any means of communication with an imprisonment of five years, a fine of Rs 10,000 or both.
The question that arises is whether other police acts too can be changed to curb social media and what are some of the instances of this menace? Obviously, in riot situations, where there is fear of misinformation being shared on social media, internet services are curtailed to prevent aggravating the situation.
This story is from the November 9, 2020 edition of India Legal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 9, 2020 edition of India Legal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
PIL, Difficult To Swallow?
In a recent ruling, the Bombay High Court lamented the increasing number of frivolous public interest litigations being filed in courts and echoed the sentiments of the Supreme Court that such litigations are the bane of the judicial system. Is there any way to restrict their misuse?
Till Infertility Do Us Part...
The Calcutta High Court slammed a husband for initiating divorce proceedings due to his wife's infertility and asked him to be a pillar of support for her. Courts have often taken an empathetic view in such matters
IS THAT LEGAL?
Ignorance of law is no excuse. Here are answers to frequently asked queries regarding matters that affect us on a day-to-day basis
The Big Lie
In America, The Big Lie is an idiom used by Donald Trump's opponents and the media to describe his constant gripe about election fraud. Now, it seems more suited to another Republican, Congressman George Santos (right), who has been facing growing calls to resign after he admitted fabricating parts of his resume and biography since his election in New York last year.
Flying into the Sunset
Over 50 years since the first and original jumbo jet, the Boeing 747, took to the skies and revolutionized air travel, the last of the legendary aircraft (right) was delivered to a freight charter company, bringing down the curtain on one of aviation's most successful products.
Star Crossed
Actor and producer Alec Baldwin is a Hollywood legend, having starred in a range of movies, award winning TV sitcoms, and theatre. He was most recently seen in Mission Impossible Fallout, which is an apt description of his current situation.
Walkouts in the UK
An estimated half a million workers have gone on strike, shutting down thousands of schools, public transport and border disruption. It is the biggest day of industrial action for more than a decade.
Myanmar's Misery
Two years after the military coup ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the brutal crackdown by the junta on so-called \"insurgents\" and civilian protesters has reached a new level with the use of air strikes, a new and deadly tactic in the ongoing civil war.
AMERICA'S ANGST
From messy, divisive politics to a series of mass shootings, and now black officers brutally beating another black man to death as seen in bodycam videos, America's domestic convulsions are cause for serious introspection
JUSTICE LEAGUE
There are few judicial appointment procedures in the world that are completely bereft of the overarching presence of either the executive or the legislature, or both. In the end, the judge is left with all the powers vested in him/her by the constitution to uphold the rule of law, within an atmosphere of external influences
