New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday put the sedition law on hold and urged the Centre and state governments to refrain from lodging FIRs under Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code until the Centre reexamines its provisions.
A three-judge bench of the apex court, led by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, further announced that those who were languishing in jail in pending sedition cases could approach the courts and seek bail while the British-era law was under re-consideration.
The court also noted that the “rigors of Section 124A of IPC was not in tune with the
current social milieu” and was intended for a time when India under the colonial regime.
“This Court is cognizant of security interests and integrity of the State on one hand, and the civil liberties of citizens on the other. There is a requirement to balance both
sets of considerations, which is a difficult exercise,” the judgement read.
Read the full text of the judgement here:
