Criminal defamation as an offence be retained as part of criminal laws: Law panel

New Delhi: 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, 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.

"Reputation is something which can't be seen and can only be earned. It's an asset which is built in a lifetime and destroyed in seconds. The whole jurisprudence around the law on criminal defamation has the essence of protecting one's reputation and its facets," it said.