{"id":9237,"date":"2024-05-20T14:06:25","date_gmt":"2024-05-20T14:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrcp-web.org\/hrcpweb\/?p=9237"},"modified":"2024-05-20T14:18:27","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T14:18:27","slug":"punjab-defamation-bill-throttles-free-expression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrcp-web.org\/hrcpweb\/punjab-defamation-bill-throttles-free-expression\/","title":{"rendered":"Punjab defamation bill throttles free expression"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container hundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: #ffffff;background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#eae9e9;border-style:solid;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start\" style=\"width:104% !important;max-width:104% !important;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_4_5 4_5 fusion-flex-column\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p>Press release<\/p>\n<p><strong>Punjab defamation bill throttles free expression\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Lahore, 20 May 2024<\/em>. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed grave concern over the draft defamation bill tabled in the Punjab Assembly.<\/p>\n<p>The content and language of the bill is troubling on several counts. First, it proposes a parallel structure to adjudicate claims of defamation. HRCP has consistently decried special parallel judicial structures on the grounds that they invariably violate fundamental rights and other universally accepted norms governing the fair functioning of the judiciary.<\/p>\n<p>Second, the bill proposes to set up defamation tribunals while empowering the government to appoint judges at higher allowances and benefits than what are available to the existing provincial judiciary functioning at the district level.<\/p>\n<p>Third, all defamation claims have to be resolved within a short span of 180 days. The bill proposes authorizing defamation tribunals to issue preliminary decrees to the tune of PKR 3 million\u2014without trial\u2014immediately on receiving a defamation claim. This will be a huge blow to freedom of expression and dissent. Such orders are likely to be passed without following due process and ensuring fair trials.<\/p>\n<p>Fourth, the draft law creates a special category of holders of constitutional office, such as the prime minister, chief justices and military chiefs, among others. Defamation claims pertaining to these categories will be heard by special one-member tribunals comprising a judge of the Lahore High Court. This provision violates the principle of equality of citizens and equality before the law.<\/p>\n<p>HRCP is also concerned by the haste in which this bill is being tabled. Five days is too short a period for any meaningful consultation with civil society and digital and mainstream media stakeholders on what is a complex legal proposal affecting an entire digital ecosystem of opinion makers.<\/p>\n<p>Asad Iqbal Butt<br \/>\nChairperson<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:80% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 20px;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 2.4%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 2.4%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;order : 0;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;order : 0;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion_builder_column_1_5 1_5 fusion-flex-column\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-widget-area fusion-widget-area-1 fusion-content-widget-area\"><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-widget-area-1 {padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;}.fusion-widget-area-1 .widget h4 {color:#333333;}.fusion-widget-area-1 .widget .heading h4 {color:#333333;}.fusion-widget-area-1 .widget h4 {font-size:18px;}.fusion-widget-area-1 .widget .heading h4 {font-size:18px;}<\/style><style type=\"text\/css\" data-id=\"tweets-widget-2\">#tweets-widget-2 li { border-color:#ebeaea;}<\/style><div id=\"tweets-widget-2\" class=\"widget tweets\" style=\"border-style: solid;border-color: #ebeaea;border-color:transparent;border-width:0px;\">\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div style=\"overflow:hidden\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"twitter-timeline\" data-dnt=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HRCP87\" data-tweet-limit=\"5\" data-width=\"\" data-height=\"900\" width=\"\" height=\"900\" data-theme=\"light\" data-link-color=\"#ff9800\" data-border-color=\"#ebeaea\" data-chrome=\"\">Tweets by HRCP87<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><div class=\"fusion-additional-widget-content\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-1{width:20% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 20px;}.fusion-builder-column-1 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 9.6%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 9.6%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-1{width:100% !important;order : 0;}.fusion-builder-column-1 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-1{width:100% !important;order : 0;}.fusion-builder-column-1 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}<\/style><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-1{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 40px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 180px;}<\/style><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[120],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - 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