SLAJ meets State Policy Committee of CRC Members of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) on Thursday held fruitful discussions with the State Policy and Human Rights sub-committee of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) on issues militating against freedom of the press, of which the association either wants ‘amendments’ where necessary or ‘repeal’ where they are applicable. Talking from an amiable journalistic practice that prevails in modern democracies, the President of SLA, Kelvin Lewis in consonance with some of the country’s media top-notch, positioned that Sierra Leone, as an emerging democracy, should ensure amendments in certain sections of the constitution regarding the media, instead of holding those draconian laws in our law books as a basis to clamp down on freedom of the press. As a result, while the constitutional review process is ongoing, they as members of SLAJ, as part of their institutional obligation, have decided to highlight some of those burning issues and bring them to the fore of the committee for onward consideration. Part of SLAJ’s recommendation was for the review committee to create a separate section in the constitution that deals squarely with media practice, instead of having it inserted in bits in some sections of the extant constitution. He said that the proviso made for journalistic practice as they appear in the existing constitution will leave room for leakages that will potentially impede the freedom of the press. Therefore SLAJ recommends that instead of leaving sections dealing with the media relatively untidy, the review should create a uniformed section that determines the operation of the media. According to SLAJ, this development is essential because, as the fourth estate, a separate and independent entity should be developed to handle its affairs, instead of leaving it at the advantage of the powers that be. The three arms of government: Executive, Legislature and Judiciary have separate sections in the constitution that determine their functions; “we need our own.” SLAJ President called. The SLAJ President and his executive further demanded a self-regulatory Independent Media Commission (IMC), as opposed to the status quo, where the existence of rapt political influence is the order of the day. Instances in other democracies as close as Ghana, were cited; in which it was noted that the separation of the media commission in those countries and the liberty of journalists’ associations to appoint their members, have enhanced marked development in the media and high level professionalism. In essence SLAJ is asking that IMC be made stronger to serve the purpose of its establishment. He said that the inability of IMC to independently handle its affairs has resulted in its cases being unnecessarily delayed in court without any resolution. SLAJ noted that instead of IMC being monitored with a political eye; a committee with interest groups be formed to determine appointment of its (IMC) members, subject to parliamentary approval, instead of the President doing it. It was noted that the constitution gives excessive powers to the President to appoint IMC Commissioners; and that such “excessive” powers should be divorced. SLAJ recommended that instead of having the perennial jailing of journalists under the criminal libel laws, which has almost always not solved then problems, the review should adopt the 2009 Bankruptcy Act that requires a payment of a stipulated fine, failure of which, the journalist or media house would be declared bankrupt. In addition, the Association maintained that I a bid to have a competent court of law, where the deliverance of justice will be seen, the review should establish a position that would empower the judiciary to use the revenue it generates to guarantee its independence and proper operation. A member of the CRC’s State Policy and Human Rights sub-committee, Lois Kawa emphasized the importance of the media in nation building; being purveyor of informative materials for public consumption. Therefore, she said, the media occupied a paramount position in the review process owing to the fact that they had played a critical role in the democratic good governance of nations. The Chairman of CRC, Justice Edmond Cowan, who briefly witnessed the programme, re-echoed the role of the media in the review process, especially in putting forward issues that they thought affects their operations. The SLAJ assured that they would later present a well-drafted position paper that they would present to CRC on issues affecting the practice of journalism in Sierra Leone.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 16:15:14 +0000
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