SIERRA LEONE ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALISTS (SLAJ)
2nd Floor, 31 Garrison Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone
P.M.B. 724
E-mail: slaj_salone@yahoo.com
President: Tel +232 76 783479
Secretary General: Tel: +232 30 205357
PRESS STATEMENT
WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY - MAY 3, 2008
Today(Saturday May 3) marks another WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY - 3rd May 2008. On this day, journalists the world over sit and reflect on their status and the environment under which they practice their profession.
As they reflect on this day, the questions that would dominate their minds would be thus: How free is the press? Is the working environment media-friendly or is it suppressive? Are there constitutional or legal limitations in the practice of the profession? Is the press being censored? Or are there self-regulatory mechanisms to enhance freedom of the press?
Answers to these questions would always vary from country to country.
Here in Sierra Leone, there had been a flurry of debates as to whether the press is free. One school of thought argues that the press in Sierra Leone is comparatively free. Such argument is most often based on the proliferation of media outlets in the country, with little or no restrictions in the registration and/or operation of these media organizations.
But are the number of radio stations and newspapers operating in a country a measure of press freedom? Or have we looked at other existing conditions to determine the state of the media in Sierra Leone?
In other words, there is the other side of the argument which believes that as long as Part 5, Sections 26-33 of the 1965 Public Order Act remains in the Statue Book, it will be contradictory to claim the existence of press freedom in this country.
Similarly, while Section 25 subsection (i) of the 1991 Constitution provides for press freedom and freedom of expression, section 25 subsection (ii) of the same constitution imposes limitation on press freedom and freedom of expression. In the same vein, sections 26-33 of the Public Order Act of 1965 actually punish a journalist for a breach of those sections. Those sections deal with defamatory and seditious libel for which a journalist, upon conviction, can be sent to jail or fined or suffer both penalties. This is most unfair, and the fact that the courts in this country have never exhibited any modicum of impartiality in matters concerning libel, the journalist remains on the receiving end of unfair judgement.
It is for this and other reasons that SLAJ has challenged those provisions of the Public Order Act in the Supreme Court. SLAJ believes that those sections of the Act are old and are bad laws and contravene the principles of democracy and good governance. They must therefore be squashed.
It is against this background that as we observe this day, SLAJ solicits the support of members of the public including civil society in the fight to decriminalize the aged old libel laws in this country.
SLAJ also urges its members to adhere to the practice of good journalism; to work within the media code of practice and give the profession a good name.
As we conclude this statement, SLAJ calls on repressive regimes to release from incarceration all journalists that were arrested while discharging their lawful duties. SLAJ also extends a word of condolence to the families of journalists who were killed or lost their lives while on the line of duty. May their souls rest in peace.
Amen.
SLAJ SECRETARIAT
3/5/08
Photo: SLAJ president Philip Neville.
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