On May 13, 2016, the Supreme Court decided Subramanian Swamy v. Union of India. The petitioners had challenged Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which make defamation a crime. The court held that criminal defamation is not an excessive restriction on free speech. It held that reputation is “an inherent component of Article 21,” the article of the Constitution that protects the right to life.