Sunday
17th Nov 2024
Dhivehi Edition
The Parliament on Thursday struck a blow to investigative journalism in the country, after it passed a law that compels journalists to reveal their sources.
Fifty Members of Parliament vote to pass the motion. Five MPs abstained from the voted.
The bill says that in the event a Court, as part of an ongoing case, compels a journalist, journalists, or media houses to reveal their sources, then it must be done so.
The bill mandates that imminent national security risks, property and personal security risks trumps confidentiality of the sources.
A statement released by the Maldives Media Council said that the law effectively muzzles in investigative journalism. Journalists staged a protest as well, calling for a stay on passing the law and bringing in amendments to the law.
Clause 136 of the Evidence act is clear on what are the instances where sources need to be revealed. Under this law, Courts can order journalists to reveal their sources.
Both Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) and MMC had appealed to the Parliament’s Judiciary Committee to not pass the law with the clause that calls for revelation of sources.
MJA said that this would discourage individuals from whistle blowing and discourage journalists from fulfilling their mandates. As such, journalists would face the possibility of punishment.