The freedom of speech and expression of the media must be allowed to the "fullest" and the press may not be hauled up for defamation for "some wrong reporting", the Supreme Court has observed.


The observation came from a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra which refused to entertain an appeal against a Patna High Court order quashing a defamation complaint against a journalist and a media house.


"In a democracy, you (petitioner) must learn to tolerate," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said. "There could be some error or enthusiasm in reporting an alleged scam. But, we must allow freedom of speech and expression to press at the fullest. There may be some wrong reporting. For that they need not be hauled up for defamation," the apex court said.

Referring to its earlier verdict that had upheld the validity of the penal law on defamation, it said the provision may be constitutional, but an alleged incorrect news item about a scam does not amount to the offence of defamation. A woman had filed the appeal against the High Court order quashing her private defamation complaint accusing a journalist of telecasting an alleged incorrect news which she had claimed had defamed her and her family members. -- PTI