Politics
Grenada promises to change controversial electronics crime bill
But it said, despite the assurances, no changes were made and instead, the on the same day that Prime Minister Mitchell promised to reform the bill, Governor-General Cécile La Grenade granted it royal assent. IPI quoted from Grenada’s official Government Gazette, to show that the Electronic Crimes Act was published on October 3, 2013.
“The published version, seen by IPI, contains no alterations to the specific sections that regional and international press freedom groups highlighted as problematic. These included Section 6, which would mandate up to one year in prison for sending by electronic means information that is “grossly offensive” or is known to be false but was reproduced in order to cause “annoyance”, “insult” or “ill will”,” IPI said in a statement.
But Mark in his statement said that the decision to make the amendments was taken after the initial bill was passed in the parliament and the consequent assent by the Governor General was “almost an automatic administrative development that is handled largely through the office of the parliament.
“There is no precedence under Grenadian statues where the Prime Minister’s office could have stopped the assent, once it was passed in parliament,” he said, adding “what the policy makers can do is make the amendment in the parliament, which we are completely committed to doing.
“We have transmitted that position to the Grenada Media Workers Association, and we have been in constant contact with the body throughout the period. We have at some times shared its frustration with the slow pace of the entire process.
“In fact we have another meeting with an executive committee of MWAG on Friday to ensure that the amendments we are all committed to, are indeed comprehensive.”
Mark reiterated that “neither the Office of the Prime Minister, nor my own personal position from where I sit, has a contradictory or adversarial position to what MWAG and such other interested parties are advocating.
“We are confident that the issue will be cleared at short order; and the commitment made will be kept,” he added.
Source: Caribbean360
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