Criminal libel law almost over

Members of Parliament by a unanimous decision took the Criminal Code Amendment Bill through the consideration stage.

The amendment, which primarily seeks to scrap the Criminal Libel and Seditious Laws from the Criminal Code attracted considerable interest and hot exchanges among members during the second reading stage.

During the consideration stage, members looked at the language of the draft rather than the principles behind the Bill.

The simple and short amendment moved by Mr Abraham Ossei, Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, to the original amendment, called for the cessation of all criminal proceeding against anyone at any court or tribunal when the law comes into force.

Parliament is expected to conclude its legislative activity on the bill by Friday.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Mohamed Mumuni, NDC-Kumbumgu, has welcomed the amendment saying aggrieved persons would now seek alternative means of seeking legal redress other than sending Journalists to gaol.