Sierra Leone: Libel Law Repeal Excites MRCG

The Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), a body established to strengthen democratic dialogue, has lauded the Sierra Leonean parliament for repealing the criminal and seditious libel laws in Part 5 of the Public Order Act of 1965.

Development Diaries learnt that the country’s lawmakers passed the Public Order (Amendment) Act 2020 which repealed the 55-year-old anti-press freedom legislation, and also passed into law a bill entitled the Independent Media Act 2020.

The Chairman of the MRCG, Dr. Francis Sowa, said, ‘The MRCG sees the repeal of the criminal libel law as a major fulfilment of one of the reasons for which the group was established. It is also a significant step the country has taken in joining other progressive democracies in the world that guarantee media freedom. We call on media practitioners to be always professional and ethical in the discharge of their duties’.

MRCG, it was gathered, thanked the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for providing massive financial and technical resources for consultations on the review of the IMC Act and repeal of the criminal libel law.

The group also appreciated the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) for providing funding for advocacy, workshops, meetings, consultations, and public education on the repeal of the law.

Similarly, MRCG applauded the international community, DFID Sierra Leone, British High Commission, and Irish Aid for supporting the media over the years.

Source: SL Concord Times

Photo source: Blogtrepreneur

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