The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) has renewed its call for a clear and categorical chapter in the Constitution of Sierra Leone that guarantees press freedom, freedom of expression and the safety and security of journalists.
In a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day 2026, SLAJ linked its demand to the remarkable decline of the country in the latest press freedom rankings. Sierra Leone fell 23 places from 56th in 2025 to 79th in 2026, signalling what the Association attributes to deepening structural threats to media independence.
While acknowledging recent progress, notably the repeal of criminal libel provisions under the Public Order Act of 1965 (Criminal Libel) in 2020, SLAJ cautioned that “these gains are significant, [but] they remain fragile and incomplete.”
The Association pointed to ongoing risks within the current legal framework, particularly provisions in the Cybersecurity and Crime Act, which it said could be used to target critical journalists. It also expressed concerns about a recently enacted counter-terrorism law, warning about its potential for abuse, particularly in relation to legitimate journalistic work.
According to SLAJ these laws, together with the absence of explicit constitutional protections, create conditions for the discretionary disregard for, or derogation from, media freedoms through narrow interpretations, self-serving amendments, or selective enforcements.
SLAJ argues that relying on existing protections under general freedom of expression clauses and statutory laws is no longer viable. A clearly defined and dedicated constitutional guarantee, it says, would provide stronger more durable legal backing for media freedom and limit undue state interference.
