Liberia repeals criminal libel, sedition and criminal malevolence laws
On 28 February 2019, President Weah of Liberia signed into law a bill amending the Liberian Penal Code. The bill includes amendments to section 11.1 on criminal libel (or defamation), section 11.12 on sedition and section 11.14 on criminal malevolence. This follows the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Liberia having approved the bill on 3 July 2018, and the Senate having endorsed the bill on 7 February 2019.
At the time of introducing the bill to the legislature, President Weah indicated that the Penal Code contravened article 15 of the Constitution of Liberia, which guarantees the right to freedom of expression.
The law has been titled the ‘Kamara Abdullah Kamara Act of Press Freedom’, in honour of the late president of the Press Union of Liberia who was a well-known press freedom activist.
An overview of the law (via Media Freedom West Africa) is accessible here.
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