Scandalising as contempt: On proceedings against Prashant Bhushan

The initiation of proceedings for criminal contempt of court versus lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan has as soon as again brought under focus the requirement for retaining the law of contempt as it stands today. In an era in which social networks have lots of critics, analysts and observers who deem it required to air their views in numerous unrestrained and uninhibited methods, the greater judiciary ought to not truly be expending its time and energy invoking its power to punish for contempt of itself. While it may not be reasonable to expect that the courts ought to ignore every allegation or innuendo, and every piece of scurrility, there is much wisdom in providing a large latitude to publicly voiced criticism and strident questioning of the court’s ways and choices. Mr. Bhushan is no stranger to the art of evaluating the limitations of the judiciary’s tolerance of criticism. He has actually made allegations of corruption against judges in the past, and has actually been hauled up for it. The most recent procedures concern two tweets by him, one a general commen