Criminal Defamation Should Be Retained As Offence: Law Panel

The Law Commission has recommended that criminal defamation should be retained within the scheme of criminal laws in India. In its report on the law on criminal defamation submitted to the government on Thursday, the panel asserted that it is important to keep in mind that the right to reputation flows from Article 21 of the Constitution, and being a facet of right to life and personal liberty, it needs to be "adequately protected" against defamatory speech and imputations.