Regional journalists complete Media Law Workshop in Barbados

Journalists from various media houses around the region successfully completed a Media Law Workshop in Barbados earlier this week.

During the two-day workshop, which commenced on Tuesday, the media practitioners, along with law students and professors, engaged in healthy discussions aimed at ensuring better access to justice for vulnerable and marginalized communities in CARICOM,{{more}} as well as by governments, the private sector and civil society as a whole.

Topics included: ‘Educating the Public about their rights’, ‘The Rights of Journalists’, ‘Confidentiality of Sources’, ‘Defamation in the Context of Media Law’, ‘The Media and Intellectual Property’, ‘Broadcast Journalism and Responsible Communication on Matters of Public Interest’, ‘Parliamentary and Government Reporting’, ‘Reporting on Family Matters and Gender Issues – An NGO Perspective’, ‘Online Reporting’ and ‘The Impact of the Media on E-Commerce’.

The Canadian Government funded workshop is part of a series of Public Legal Education events for CARICOM Member States under the ‘Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean’ project, implemented by the University of the West Indies through the Caribbean Law institute at the Cave Hill Campus.

“Long gone are the days when the print media and other traditional news providers were the predominant source of information to the public,” Dr Margaret Miller, senior director to the Caribbean Regional Programme and Director for Canada to the Caribbean Development Bank said during remarks.

“With the growth of social media, and at a time when any member of the public armed with a smart phone can become the lead reporter of their own ‘newscast,’ it is even more critical for journalists and broadcasters to set the example of ethical, accurate and fair journalism.”

Miller outlined the project’s support for the development of model laws for the region, improving access to legal materials and to legal education by practitioners and the public.

IMPACT Justice’s regional project director Professor Velma Newton disclosed that the main components of the project include the drafting of legislation for the economic and social development of the region, under which model mediation, sexual harassment and organized crime bills have been drafted.

“These are now to be discussed in the region and copies passed to the attorneys general,” she added.

Newton went on to state that a second component of IMPACT Justice project is improving legal professionalism, through enhanced codes of ethics, disciplinary procedures and the encouragement of bar associations to adopt continuing legal profession programmes for their members. A third component of the project seeks to improve and expand databases of court decisions and legislation and articles published in the region, which would be available to lawyers and to any members of the public who want to do legal research.

The fourth component is a public legal education programme including the preparation of leaflets on aspects of the law in simple language.

Justices of the peace, teachers, religious and other community leaders will also be trained in the techniques of mediation; and educators will be trained in the use of restorative practices in schools.

SEARCHLIGHT was represented at the workshop by journalist Ari Shaw.(AS)