Supreme Court: The 3-judge bench of Arun Mishra, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari, jj has asked advocate Prashant Bhushan to take 2-3 days to reconsider his ‘defiant statement’, refusing to apologise for his contemptuous tweets. Bhushan said that he will consult his lawyers and think over the Court’s suggestion in 2-3 days.
“We have given time to the contemnor to submit unconditional apology, if he so desires.”
When the Attorney General KK Venugopal urged the Court not to award any punishment to Prashant Bhushan in the contempt case, the Court said that it cannot consider the said request Bhushan reconsiders his earlier stand of not apologising for his tweets.
“The tone, tenor and content of Prashant Bhushan’s statement makes it worse; is it defence or aggravation.”
The bench said that it can be very lenient if there is realization of mistake.
At the outset of the hearing, Bhushan had submitted before the Court that the arguments on quantum of sentence in the contempt proceedings, in which he has been held guilty, be heard by another bench. The bench rejected the submission but gave assurance to Bhushan that no punishment will be acted upon till his review against the order convicting him in the case will be decided.
Reserving the order, the Court said,
“In case, apology is submitted, the case to be posted for consideration on the same, on 25.08.2020.”
Background of the issue:
The matter deals with certain tweets made by Bhushan. He had recently criticised the Supreme Court and the sitting and former CJIs in a couple of tweets which prompted the Supreme Court to initiate suo motu contempt petition against him. Here are the tweets:
The 3-judge bench of Arun Mishra, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari, JJ, in a 108-pages long verdict, said that:
“The scurrilous allegations, which are malicious in nature and have the tendency to scandalize the Court are not expected from a person, who is a lawyer of 30 years standing. In our considered view, it cannot be said that the above tweets can be said to be a fair criticism of the functioning of the judiciary, made bona fide in the public interest.”
Stating that in order to protect the larger public interest, such attempts of attack on the highest judiciary of the country should be dealt with firmly, the Court noticed that Advocate Bhushan has been practicing for last 30 years in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court and has consistently taken up many issues of public interest concerning the health of our democracy and its institutions and in particular the functioning of our judiciary and especially its accountability. Bhushan being part of the institution of administration of justice, instead of protecting the majesty of law has indulged into an act, which tends to bring disrepute to the institution of administration of justice.
[In re Prashant Bhushan, 2020 SCC OnLine SC 663, order dated 20.08.2020]
(With inputs from PTI)
Read more on the judgment here
