SLAJ lauds tabling of RTI Bill, Urges decriminalisation of libel
Freetown – The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists is happy that after several years of dithering, the Right to Access To Information (RTI) bill was laid before Parliament today and debate started in earnest.
The bill went through the first and second readings at the House before it was committed to the Legislative Committee. SLAJ wishes to laud the efforts of the Government of Sierra Leone, civil society organisations especially the Society for Democratic Initiatives and foreign partners especially the World Bank who have worked very hard to make this day a reality.
“This is a watershed move and every Sierra Leonean must be proud of it” SLAJ President Umaru Fofana says. “With this law our country can only prosper” he goes on, urging Parliament to debate the bill with the nation at heart, and without partisan interests beclouding discussions. He says after an extraordinary meeting to be held next week, SLAJ will come out with a position statement stating its position on certain provisions of the bill with a view to helping Parliament pass a robust law.
The SLAJ President, however, goes on to say that the retention of the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law as contained in Part 5 of the 1965 Public Order Act will negatively affect journalists from enjoying the RTI law, as some information acquired through the use of the RTI law may embarrass certain public officials who may want to invoke provisions of the Criminal and Seditious Libel law against journalists citing “public disaffection”.
SLAJ wishes to remind President Ernest Bai Koroma to make real his pledge for a review of the libel law just as he has done with the tabling of the RTI Law today.
In recent times, the National Human Rights Commission and the Sierra Leone bar association have joined a long list of institutions that have joined SLAJ in calling for a repeal of Criminal and Seditious Libel Law.
SLAJ, Freetown
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