Free speech does not justify abuse of women officers: Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy
HYDERABAD: Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy, retired Supreme Court judge and former Lokayukta of Goa, has said freedom of expression is among the most precious constitutional rights but does not extend to unrestrained or irresponsible conduct.
In a statement issued on January 13, Justice Reddy said the Constitution protects free speech as the lifeblood of society, but it does not guarantee unbridled liberty. He cautioned that misuse of this freedom, particularly without accountability, carries serious consequences.
Condemning recent media narratives that violated the personal privacy of a woman IAS officer, he said irresponsible exercise of free speech on social media or in mainstream platforms was fraught with danger. Such conduct, he added, inevitably invites proportionate regulation and control, which itself poses a grave risk to democratic freedoms.
Justice Reddy said if self-restraint and a sense of responsibility towards society were absent, it would be wiser for individuals to voluntarily refrain from exercising such freedom rather than allow external restrictions to be imposed.
He described as “reprehensible and deplorable” the practice of hurling indecent, discourteous or abusive remarks at young women officers performing their duties with efficiency and integrity. Such acts, carried out under the guise of free expression, amounted to an affront to their dignity, an attack on their personality and a manifestation of entrenched patriarchal attitudes, he said.
