Some popular press laws and regulations implemented during the Britishers were
THE CENSORSHIP OF PRESS ACT, 1799
Lord Wellesley imposed censorship on all newspapers, apprehending a French invasion of India. The Censorship of Press Act of 1799, imposed wartime restrictions on the press. It regulated
- The newspaper clearly prints in every issue the name of the printer, the editor, and the proprietor.
- The publisher is to submit all material for immediate deportation. In 1807, the Censorship Act was extended to cover journals, pamphlets, and even books.
- Relaxation of Press restriction came under Lord Hastings and in 1818, pre-censorship of the press was dispensed with.
THE LICENSING REGULATIONS, 1823
The appointment of John Adams as acting Governor-General in 1823 gave him the opportunity to give a practical shape to his reactionary views. Press Regulations of 1823 proved more stringent than any earlier regulation. The new regulation required
- every printer and publisher to obtain a license for starting a press or using it.
- The penalty for printing and/or publishing any literature without the requisite license was 400 for each such publication or imprisonment in default thereof. Magistrates were authorized to attach unlicensed presses.
- Raja Rammohan Roy’s Mirat-ul-Akbar had to stop its publication under this act.
PRESS ACT, 1835
In 1835, Charles Metcalfe succeeded Lord William Bentinck and repealed the Licensing Regulations, of 1823. Charles Metcalfe earned the epithet of Liberator of the Indian Press for providing this liberty to the press.
THE LICENSING ACT, 1857
The emergency caused by the Revolt of 1857 led the government to reimpose restrictions on the press. The act reintroduced licensing restrictions in addition to the existing registration procedure laid down by the Metcalfe Act. The act prohibited the keeping or using the Printing Press, without a license from the government and the government reserved the discretionary right to grant licenses or revoke them at any time.
The government was also empowered to prohibit the publication or circulation of any newspaper, book, or other printed matter. The act was an emergency measure and its duration was limited to 1 year. Charles Metcalfe’s statute however continued in force.
REGISTRATION ACT, 1867
This act replaced the Press Act of 1835. It was regulatory in nature. According to this act, every newspaper was required to print the name of the printer and publisher. Apart from this, a copy was to be submitted to the local government within a month