A controversial Grenadian bill that could mean prison for anyone sending false or offensive electronic messages has “quietly” become law, according to media advocacy groups.
Last year Grenada’s legislature began considering an Electronic Crimes Bill that would allow criminal charges to be brought against anyone sending objectionable electronic messages via the Internet.
The law covers offences including electronic stalking, child pornography, computer fraud, violation of privacy, forgery and identity theft.
But a provision in the bill that mandates up to one year in prison for electronically transmitting information that is “grossly offensive” quickly drew concern from press freedom groups.
The bill also criminalises sending information that “is known to be false but was reproduced in order to cause ‘annoyance,’ ‘insult’ or ‘ill will,’” according to the Austria-based International Press Institute.
Generally, defamation is a civil, rather than criminal, offence.
Keith Mitchell, Grenada’s prime minister, said in July that the bill was necessary to modernise the country’s criminal laws, according to the Caribbean Media Corporation. He added that freedom of speech would be maintained.
“Under the watch of this government, no law shall inhibit or threaten open debate in any form or fashion,” he said at the time. “That commitment of the current government is clear.”
But according to the non-profit IPI, the law was published in the country’s Gazette Tuesday in its original form.
“We are, indeed, surprised to find out that this bill was granted royal assent on the same day that the prime minister promised to reform it to better reflect international standards on freedom of expression,” said Barbara Trionfi, a “press freedom manager” with the group. “Certainly, this calls into question whether the government was ever really serious about ensuring that this act would not harm the free flow of information and opinion in Grenada.”
The act, however, has not yet come into force, and won’t until government publishes an order enacting it, according to the IPI.
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