Journalists in Sierra Leone joined their colleagues the world over to reflect on their status and the environment under which they practice their profession as they celebrated world press freedom day over the weekend.
The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) said in Sierra Leone, but the public Act of 1965 remained in the statue book as it would be contradictory to claim the existence of press freedom in the country.
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 sections of the Act are old and are bad laws and contravene the principles of democracy and good governance,” it stated in a press release.
“It is against this backdrop that as journalists observe the world press freedom 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 and within the media code of practice and give the profession a good name, and also calls on the repressive regimes to release from incarceration all journalists that were arrested while discharging their lawful duties” it maintained,
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