Press Body Demands Dedicated Constitutional Chapter for Free Speech
Media advocates across Sierra Leone are mounting a unified push to overhaul the nation’s legal framework, calling for freedom of expression and press freedom to be granted an independent, dedicated chapter in the proposed new Constitution.
Speaking at a high-level consultative forum held on Friday, September 4, 2026, at Freetown’s Civil Service Training College, Alhaji Manika Kamara, President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), cautioned that the existing 1991 Constitution no longer offers sufficient safeguards for working journalists or ordinary citizens.
While Sections 11 and 25 of the current framework technically guarantee freedom of expression, Kamara pointed out that subsuming press rights under broad, general clauses leaves public debate vulnerable to political and legal overreach.
Pointing to democratic benchmarks such as Ghana and South Africa, he emphasized that explicit constitutional guarantees have proven essential in anchoring independent discourse across the continent.
“A stand-alone chapter is not just for journalists—it is for every citizen of Sierra Leone,” Kamara declared. “It guarantees the fundamental right to express oneself freely within the law while protecting media independence from unwarranted state interference.”
This renewed drive mirrors key findings from the landmark Justice Cowan Constitutional Review Committee, which explicitly recommended establishing a dedicated chapter on freedom of expression to close longstanding legal loopholes.
The forum brought together a broad coalition of stakeholders, including civil society leaders, human rights defenders, faith leaders, legal scholars, and representatives from the Law Officers’ Department.
Beyond the constitutional chapter, participants floated several structural reforms aimed at elevating professional standards and protecting news organizations:
Constitutional Status for the IMC: Dr. Francis Sowa, National Coordinator of the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), urged that the Independent Media Commission (IMC) be anchored directly within the Constitution rather than governed by a standard Act of Parliament. This move, he explained, would protect the regulator’s independence from political shifting tides.
Statutory Framework for Ethics: Attorney Charles Israel Williams proposed establishing a “Media Practitioners’ Act,” modeled after the legal profession’s regulatory body, to codify professional ethics, raise standards, and hold media institutions accountable to clear public norms.
Presenting the conceptual draft, lawyer Paul Kamara stressed that explicit constitutional protection remains the single most effective barrier against censorship and official overreach.
Dr. Isaac Massaquoi, who represented SLAJ on the Cowan Review Committee and spearheaded the forum, reminded attendees that achieving these historic amendments will require sustained effort. He called on SLAJ leadership to maintain continuous engagement with state institutions and civil society as constitutional deliberations move forward.
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