Latest news with #LagipoivaCherelleJackson
ABC News
28-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Samoa to hold snap elections amidst fallout between Fiame and FAST party
Samoans are heading for an early election, after Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa called for the dissolution of parliament. The call came after the her government's budget was voted down by a combination of opposition and FAST party MPs. It's another twist in a long running saga that has seen Fiame survive two votes of no confidence earlier in the year. Many however are not surprised that the budget failed to pass through. "Given the way the parliament has operated over the past year, this is not surprising at all," said Samoan human rights scholar and journalist Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson. "We've never been in a stage before where we have three parties to this degree where it does impact the decisions of parliament."
RNZ News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Legal academic says Samoa's criminal libel law should go
Lagi Keresoma is the first female president of the Journalist Association of Samoa. Photo: Screengrab / Facebook / Pacific Media Assistance Scheme An Auckland University law academic says the criminal libel law under which a prominent Samoan journalist has been charged should be repealed. Lagi Keresoma Keresoma, a senior journalist for Talamua Media, was charged under the Crimes Act 2013 on Sunday after publishing an article about a former police officer, whom she asserted had sought the help of the Head of State to withdraw charges brought against him. "A person who commits a crime under this section is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 175 penalty units or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months," the Crimes Act states. The Journalists Association of Samoa (JAWS) has already called for the criminal libel law to be scrapped. It said this week that the law, specifically Section 117A of the Crimes Act, undermines media freedom, and any defamation issues can be dealt with in a civil court. JAWS gender representative to the International Federation of Journalists said Keresoma's arrest "raises serious concerns about the misuse of legal tools to independent journalism" in the country. Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson called on the Samoan government "to urgently review and repeal criminal defamation laws that undermine democratic accountability and public trust in the justice system". The law was removed by the Samoan government in 2013, but was brought back in 2017, ostensibly to deal with issues arising on social media. Beatrice Tabangcora Photo: University of Auckland Auckland University's Beatrice Tabangcoro told RNZ Pacific that this reintroduction was widely criticised at the time for its potential impact on freedom of speech and media freedom. She said that truth is a defence to the offence of false statement causing harm to reputation, but in the case of a journalist this can lead to them being compelled to reveal their sources. The academic said that the law remains unnecessary and impractical, and she pointed to the Samoa Police Commissioner telling media in 2023 that the law should be repealed as it is used "as a tool for harassing the media and is a waste of police resources". Tonga and Vanuatu are two other Pacific nations with the criminal libel law on their books, and it is something the media in both those countries have raised concerns about.
