Sierra Leone: SLAJ declares blackout on judiciary

The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) on June 15, 2009 imposed a news blackout on the country’s judiciary, as part of its sustained campaign to get the Supreme Court to expunge the obnoxious Public Order Act of the 1960 from the laws of Sierra Leone.

A source told the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) that the action is as a result of the Supreme Court’s long delay in giving its verdict on the case filed by SLAJ challenging the constitutionality of the Public Order Act which is very inimical to media freedom in particular and freedom of expression generally.

SLAJ has directed its members to desist from carrying or reporting activities of the judiciary until June 20.

SLAJ initiated the suit in February 2008 for a repeal of the law which the authorities used to send a number of journalists to prison.

Even though, the verdict should have been given within three months, as required by the Constitution, the parties had closed their arguments more than the stipulated period.

SLAJ threatened that should this action fail to achieve its purpose, it would adopt other new methods of protest.

Meanwhile, the Association has expressed its resolve to mobilize civil society groups, human rights organizations and the international community to mount pressure on the authorities to repeal the law which infringes upon the right to free expression.

Prof. Kwame Karikari
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233 21 24 24 70
Fax : 233 21 221084
Website : www.mediafound.org
Email: [email][email protected]