Against the backdrop of some recent decisions of the courts which could sound the death knell for the freedom of speech in the country, this article argues that the courts should exercise contempt powers judiciously and only in the gravest of circumstances. It compares past pronouncements, which call for a greater judicial restraint in exercise of contempt of powers, with the recent trend of the judiciary to arrogate to itself near despotic powers under the guise of "contempt".
