Journalists march for press freedom - Regional media workers call for criminal defamation legislation to be abolished

Jamaican journalists supported by their Caribbean and international colleagues yesterday issued a call on regional governments to abolish laws that could result in persons going to prison for expressions.

The 'Declaration of Emancipation Park' was signed yesterday by the Press Association of Jamaica, the Media Association Jamaica, the Association of Caribbean Media Workers, the International Press Institute and representatives of 11 other regional media associations and dispatched to the respective governments.

A matter of urgency

"We renew the call for Caribbean governments as a matter of urgency to abolish criminal defamation legislation and common law criminal defamation rules, as well as review civil defamation laws and all other laws that restrict media freedom," read a section of the Declaration.

"We also endorse the Declaration of Port of Spain adopted by the General Assembly of the International Press Institute (IPI) in Trinidad and Tobago on June 26, 2012 in which it is agreed that, 'media freedom remains a key to the establishment of good governance and durable economic, political, social and cultural development, prosperity and peace in the Caribbean, and to the fight against corruption, poverty, violent crime and disease'," added the Declaration.

The symbolic signing of the Declaration came at the end of a "Press Freedom Walk" from the offices of the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica, the former home of the now defunct Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation, to Emancipation Park in New Kingston.

The walk was part of two days of activities to mark the 2014 World Press Freedom Day.