Contempt of Court 1971

Contempt of Court (1971):- One of the reasonable restriction as provided in the article 19 (2) on the exercise of the right to freedom of speech and expression, which include the freedom of the press guarantee under 19 (1) (a) in contempt of court. Contempt of court may be both civil and criminal.

Law of Defamation

Law of Defamation: - The law of defamation is supposed to protect people's reputations from unfair attack. In practice its main effect is to hinder free speech and protect powerful people from scrutiny. This leaflet provides information about legal rights and options for action for people who may be threatened by a legal action or who are worried about something they want to say or publish.

Official Secret Act 1923

Official Secret Act (1923): - Official secret act 1923 is a comprehensive law, relating to official secrets and creates a number of offences relating to them. Both journalist and ordinary people may be punish for commenting these offences. These cover making, sketches, plans, models or notes which may be useful to an enemy and obtaining, collecting, recording, publishing or communicating to any person, any secret code and a password or any sketch, article, note or other documents which may be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy or to a foreign agent or which relates to a matter the closer of which is likely to affect the sovergnity and integrity of India, the security of the state of friendly relation with foreign states.

Press Laws & Media Ethics ( Copyright Act 1957)

Copyright Act (1957):- A work of literature, drama, music or art is an intellectual property. It must be protected from illegal copy or reproducing it. The copyright act accords this protection.


This act is based on to competing consideration= The creator’s property i.e. the original work needs to be protected.
= For advancement of knowledge in the interest of the society there should be some amount of the freedom to produce parts of other people copyrighted works. Copyright has been held to be a right which a person acquires in a work that is a result of his intellectual labor.

In respect of the press copyright means under section 14 of the copyright act 1957, the exclusive right in the case of a literary, dramatic or musical work, to do an authorized the doing in substantive form of any of the following acts mainly:-
1. To reproduce the work in any material form.
2. To publish the work.
3. To make any adaption of work.
4. To re-produce or publish translation of the work.

Punishment for knowingly infringing or abating infringement of a copyright is imprisonment which may extend up to one year or fine or both.

Working Journalist Act 1955

Working Journalist Act (1955):- The working journalist and other newspaper employees (condition of service and miscellaneous provision act) 1955, this act is a welfare measurement to regulate conditions of service of the people, employee in the newspaper industry, its provision relates mainly to:-


1. Special provision in respect of certain cases of retrenchment.
2. Payment of gratuity.
3. Hours of work.
4. Leave
5. Fixation of revision of rates of wages.
6. Enforcement of the recommendation of the wage fixation machinery i.e. wage board & wage tribunals.
7. Employees P.F.
8. Recovery of money due from the employee.