Section 6: In calculating fractions of terms of punishment, imprisonment for life shall be
terms of reckoned as equivalent to imprisonment for twenty years unless otherwise provided.
punishment.
merits of any performance which its author has submitted to the judgment of the public, or
respecting the character of the author so far as his character appears in such performance,
and no further.
Explanation.—A performance may be submitted to the judgment of the public expressly
or by acts on the part of the author which imply such submission to the judgment of the
public.
Illustrations.
(a) A person who publishes a book, submits that book to the judgment of the public.
(b) A person who makes a speech in public, submits that speech to the judgment of the
public.
(c) An actor or singer who appears on a public stage, submits his acting or singing to
the judgment of the public.
Sec. 1] THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY
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(d) A says of a book published by Z—“Z’s book is foolish; Z must be a weak man. Z’s
book is indecent; Z must be a man of impure mind”. A is within the exception, if he says this
in good faith, in as much as the opinion which he expresses of Z respects Z’s character only
so far as it appears in Z’s book, and no further.
(e) But if A says “I am not surprised that Z’s book is foolish and indecent, for he is a
weak man and a libertine”. A is not within this exception, in as much as the opinion which
he expresses of Z’s character is an opinion not founded on Z’s book.