Contempt of Court and Freedom of Speech : Exploring Gender Biases

Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Democracy and freedom of speech. 3. Cross cultural perspective. 4. Contempt of court: the history. 5. The law of contempt and constitutional guarantees. 6. Criminal contempt: the judicial response. 7. Contempt and gender. 8. Judicial accountability. Conclusion and suggestions. Bibliography. Index.
Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Democracy and freedom of speech. 3. Cross cultural perspective. 4. Contempt of court: the history. 5. The law of contempt and constitutional guarantees. 6. Criminal contempt: the judicial response. 7. Contempt and gender. 8. Judicial accountability. Conclusion and suggestions. Bibliography. Index.

Freedom of speech and a free and fair justice delivery system are two most important components of democracy, and striking a balance between them is a must for its smooth running. The law of contempt of courts in India has assumed immense social and political significance due to growing judicial tendency to gag and often to subjugate the demoratic aspirations and dissent. This book presents a critical assessment of the freedom of speech as enshrined in the Indian Constitution and encroachment on it by the proactive approach of judiciary through the instrument of the law of contempt of the court. Tracing the history of the contempt of court, it discusses at length the various aspects of democracy and freedom of speech, the status of contempt of court in various countries, the law of contempt and constitutional guarantees judicil accountability. It also tries to explore gender biases in the delivery of justice in the cases related to the contempt of court.