The discussion of the bill on fake news in Parliament is being postponed for a “reasonable period of time,” according to a statement made yesterday by the Ministry of Justice, which poses a threat to freedom of expression.
This fact emerged from yesterday’s meeting, held at the initiative of Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis.
At the meeting, the position of technocrats from the Ministry regarding the need to regulate the issue was expressed, while, on the other hand, opposition was expressed by the representatives of all the bodies and organisations of the journalistic sector to the risk of freedom of expression and press freedom being compromised.
On the table again was the prospect of legislative regulation to address the phenomenon of fake news and to fully exempt journalists and media outlets from the criminalisation of the relevant offence. For the time being, however, it is unclear whether this is feasible.
In the end, it was concluded that a team of lawyers from all the parties involved in the consultation would be formed. This team will undertake to examine all the legal issues to determine if there is room for all positions to be reconciled with the preparation of a bill.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Law Office of the Republic, the Pancyprian Bar Association, the Cyprus Journalists’ Union, the Publishers’ Association, the Journalism Ethics Committee, and the Media Institute.
Read more:
