Legislation

116 results arranged by date

CPJ joins call for Nigeria to drop anti-social media legislation

The Committee to Protect Journalists alongside 19 Nigerian, African and international organisations today signed an open letter addressed to the upper chamber of Nigeria’s parliament calling for the rejection of a bill which would undermine press freedom, stifle public opinion, and criminalize freedom of expression in Nigeria.

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CPJ urges South Africa to revise cybercrime bill that limits press freedom

New York, December 10, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the South African government to revise provisions in the proposed Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill that would limit journalists’ ability to work. Under the bill, journalists and members of the public could be prosecuted for possessing or disclosing state information, reports said.

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CPJ calls on Togo president to reject law that would impose jail terms for journalists

Abuja, Nigeria, November 12, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the president of Togo to block a proposed article in the country’s penal code that would threaten press freedom. Under the proposed law, journalists could face jail sentences and fines for “false news,” according to news reports.

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Police gather near Beijing No. 3 People's Intermediate Court where veteran journalist Gao Yu is on trial on accusations of leaking state secrets, Friday, November 21, 2014. (AP/Ng Han Guan)

How China’s national security and cybersecurity laws will further curb press freedom

Convincing potential sources to share information and publishing independent journalism on social media or with the help of crowd-funding are a few of the practices that are likely to suffer under a pair of new Chinese laws–one passed, one still in draft form–local journalists tell CPJ.

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Protesters demonstrate against the government's bill giving spies sweeping new surveillance powers on May 4, 2015 in Paris. (AFP/Alain Jocard)

French surveillance law passes National Assembly, but it’s not the last word

Until the last moment the opponents of a very controversial French intelligence bill tried to be heard. On Monday May 4 on the eve of the vote, activists kept calling deputies to convince them to reject the bill. They had no chance however, since the Socialist government could count on a solid majority from both…

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People protesting in Budapest about a new Internet tax on data use hold up their smartphones. (Reuters/Laszlo Balogh)

Mission Journal: Creeping authoritarianism in Hungary

On the Buda side of the River Danube stands the glass and steel headquarters of the thriving German-owned entertainment channel RTL. On the Pest side of the Hungarian capital, tucked in a corner of a converted department store, lies the cramped office of struggling online news outlet Atlatszo.

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Journalists surround Bangladeshi Attorney General Mahbubey Alam following a verdict at the International Crimes Tribunal court premises in Dhaka on January 21, 2013. (AFP/Munir uz Zaman)

Restrictive broadcast policy in Bangladesh raises concerns

This week, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet approved a restrictive policy governing Bangladesh’s broadcast media. While the policy calls for the creation of an independent commission to oversee electronic media–a positive step, in principle–it’s unclear how and how quickly the commission will be formed. Meanwhile, the policy restricts what can be broadcast, raising red flags.

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In this May 12, 2014 photo, forensic workers examine the scene where an activist for missing persons was gunned down by unknown assailants in Culiacan, Mexico. (AP/El Debate, Dulce Mercado)

CPJ calls on Mexican authorities in Sinaloa to repeal restrictive law

Mexico City, August 4, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the state congress in Sinaloa to repeal a law passed on Wednesday that would severely restrict the ability of the press to report on crime scenes and criminal investigations. Local congressmen presented a bill on Friday that would repeal the law, according to an…

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Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court's decision to strike down criminal defamation must be implemented. (AFP/Jekesai Njikizana)

Zimbabwe court strikes down criminal defamation; implementation to be seen

In a landmark ruling, the Zimbabwean Constitutional Court on July 22 declared unconstitutional a section of the draconian Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act that criminalizes defamation.

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Viktor Orban was re-elected Hungary's prime minister by Parliament in May. (Reuters/Bernadett Szabo)

Hungary’s independent media struggle against economic pressure, intimidation

“This is a new wave of clampdowns by the government–they want to have another four-year term with even less critical media than before,” said Szabolcs, a 21-year-old economics student, one of thousands of people who marched in the streets of Budapest in June, chanting “Free Country, Free Press!” The demonstrations were in reaction to several…

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