The Oxford and Cambridge Society of India invites you to join them for their next physical event - a discussion on social media and free speech. Maya Mirchandani will talk to Saurabh Kirpal about the complex nature of free speech on social media. There are all kinds of issues this throws up. For instance, is the freedom of expression on social media meant to be absolute? Does everyone have a right to say whatever they want? If so, how do we address problems of hate speech and other forms of violence, ethical issues, and so on? Or are there boundaries that need to be in place? If so, how are these boundaries to be determined and, crucially, by whom? Who does social media then 'belong' to, and how is this power to be understood?

Saurabh Kirpal is a Senior Advocate practicing before the Supreme Court of and the Delhi High Court. After studying physics at St Stephens College in Delhi, Saurabh Kirpal read law at the University of Oxford and did his master's in law at the University of Cambridge. He did a brief stint working with the United Nations in Geneva before returning to Delhi where he has been practicing law. He has appeared in a range of matters covering a diverse range of subjects from commercial to constitutional law. This is reflected in the variety of clients he has appeared for – from Anil Ambani in his legal battle with his brother to being the counsel for Navtej Johar, Ritu Dalmia and others in the case that led to the reading down of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. He is presently fighting the case seeking recognition of same-sex marriage before the Delhi High Court. A self-described ‘accidental activist’,  he also is a trustee of the Naz Foundation Trust, the NGO that first fought for decriminalization of homosexuality in India. He is the author of the recently released book Sex and the Supreme Court, an anthology of essays relating to law, gender and sexuality.

Maya Mirchandani is an award-winning broadcast journalist with vast reporting experience on Indian Foreign Policy, focusing on South Asia and identity conflict. Maya heads the department of Media Studies at Ashoka University, and is a Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, where her research focuses on the impact of social media on violent extremism.