Tanzania Court Halts New Blogging Laws

The High Court of Tanzania has halted the implementation of new rules by the government requiring bloggers to pay $920 (£660) for the privilege of posting content online.

The High Court issued the injunction following a case filed by six organizations requesting for temporary injunction on April 30, 2018. The six organizations include: Legal and Human Rights Center (LHRC), Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC), Media Council of Tanzania (MCT), Jamii Media, Tanzania Women's Media Association (TAMWA) and Tanzania Editors Form (TEF).

In the Primary case, the six organizations are asking the High Court to order revision the content regulations on that basis that they are against natural justice, freedom of expression, rights to be heard and rights to privacy.

They also claim that the Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports has gone ultra vires in setting them. Anna Rugaba, a communication expert said that if implemented, the content regulations would deny journalism students from practicing on their own using online platforms, leaders from reaching their voters and general public from whistleblowing misconducts in their areas.

The Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports is the first respondent, Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority is the second respondent while Attorney General is the third in the case which is set to be heard on May 10.


(DAILY NEWS)



Disclaimer: Stories culled and pictures posted on this blog will be given due credit and is not the fault of drifternews.blogspot.com if website culled from misrepresents source of story.