Kerala HC Quashes Defamation Case Against Ex-MP Sebastian Paul

In 2016, during a conflict between lawyers and journalists, former Ernakulam MP and advocate Sebastian Paul allegedly compared the violent behavior of some lawyers to “street dogs.”

A defamation complaint was filed by a Taliparamba lawyer, claiming harm to the reputation of the lawyer community.

Paul filed a petition under Section 482 CrPC to quash the proceedings, arguing that his remarks, even if taken at face value, did not meet the standards for defamation under Sections 499 and 500 IPC. He also cited precedents like G. Narasimhan v. T.V. Chokkappa (1972) and S. Khushboo v. Kanniammal (2010), where similar complaints were quashed.

Kerala High Court quashed the defamation case, ruling that Paul's comments were not intended to defame the entire lawyer community.