Rapid Fire
Dramatic Performances Act, 1876
- 07 Mar 2025
- 1 min read
Recently, the Prime Minister, while highlighting the government's efforts to repeal archaic and obsolete laws, referenced the Dramatic Performances Act, 1876.
- This law was among those enacted by the British to clamp down on the budding Indian nationalist sentiment.
- Article 372 of the Constitution allows pre-independence laws to remain in force, but colonial laws lack the presumption of constitutionality, requiring government defense when challenged.
- Dramatic Performances Act, 1876, gave the government (British) powers to “prohibit public dramatic performances which are scandalous, defamatory, seditious or obscene”.
- The Act had been declared unconstitutional by the Allahabad High Court in State versus Baboo Lal And Ors Case, 1956. The law was formally repealed in 2018 as part of the government’s exercise to weed out obsolete laws.
- The Vernacular Press Act, 1878, and the sedition law of 1870 were among the harsh laws enacted during this period to suppress nationalist activities and stifle opposition to colonial rule.
| Read more: Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023 |
