The Hindu : Call to codify privileges of legislatures

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 14, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Call to codify privileges of legislatures

By Our Staff Reporter

THALASSERY, FEB. 13. The Assembly Speaker, Vakkom Purushothaman, has said that the privileges of members of legislatures and Parliament are for the protection and maintenance of their independence and not for giving arbitrary powers to them.

Inaugurating a symposium on `Legislative privileges, freedom of the Press and contempt of court laws in India' organised by the Thalassery Bar Association here today in connection with the year-long bicentenary celebrations of Thalassery courts, Mr. Purushothaman said the crux of the concept of privileges was to give immunity to the members against any outside threat. The privileges were to allow the members to express their views or criticise freely without fear in the House.

The Speaker said that legislative privileges should be invoked only on rare occasions when the very integrity and independence of the House was questioned. Stating that the Tamil Nadu Assembly's action against The Hindu was negative in its approach, the Speaker said it was the right time for the legislature and the media to engage in introspection on issues concerning their respective powers. The former Advocate-General, M.K. Damodaran, said the action of the Tamil Nadu Assembly against The Hindu was the result of the failure of Parliament and legislatures to codify privileges.

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