http://dx.doi.org/10.59704/ab0592c6fecb5cbd https://verfassungsblog.de/a-mere-academic-exercise/ A Mere “Academic” Exercise - On The Indian Supreme Court's Dismissal of the Legislative Privileges Case Mittal, Pranav eng 2026-10-15 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Freedom of Speech Indian Supreme Court Tamil Nadu Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-SA 4.0 Last week, in N. Ravi v Speaker, Legislative Assembly Chennai, the Indian Supreme Court dismissed a 17-year-old challenge to the constitutionality of the exercise of legislative privilege under Article 194 to curtail a citizen’s freedom of speech. The issue arose from a resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly ordering the prosecution of 15 journalists of The Hindu for remarks against the then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. The Court dismissed the matter on the ground that the resolution ordering their arrest had subsequently been withdrawn, rendering the proceedings a mere “academic exercise”.