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Vanuatu’s newly elected Prime Minister Bob Loughman and the newly constituted Parliament, 19 April 2020, Facebook/USP Law The Pacific Freedom Forum has warned that legislative amendments passed by the Vanuatu Parliament could be used to attack journalists who publish critical reports on politicians and government policies.
This statement was originally published on Pacific Freedom Forum’s Facebook page on 3 May 2021.
It has come to the Pacific Freedom Forum’s attention that the Vanuatu Parliament has recently passed a bill amending their Penal Code Act.
The amendment to the Bill for the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act No. of 2021 stipulates that Threatening language, Criminal Libel and Criminal Slander on any public platform could warrant a criminal offence and offenders could face three (3) years imprisonment.