World Press Freedom

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RSF noted that in the past one to two decades, freedom of the press has continued to improve in Jamaica, and the right to information is widely respected “The country thus continues to rank among the safest in the world for journalists,” RSF said become a full member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) that was established in 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s final court

“Other Caribbean countries are one by one joining the CCJ because even some who are apprehensive have seen the value But, we believe that is because a few well-monied people can go to the Privy Council once in a while on matters that they choose, but we have to wait until the Englishman tells us that something is good before it is good,” Rowley told a Family Day event of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) on Sunday

Despite being headquartered in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago has only joined the Original Jurisdiction of the CCJ that also acts as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas

Barbados, Dominica, Guyana and Belize are the only four CARICOM countries that are full members of the CCJ that has both an Original and Appellate Jurisdiction

It added that the Jamaican free press often openly criticizes officials, and journalists have occasionally reported intimidation while doing their work, particularly ahead of an election

However, RSF said, “Physical attacks are rare, but they do happen,” noting that a videographer for Television Jamaica and a reporter for the Jamaica Gleaner were attacked in November 2022 while covering a teachers’ protest in St Catherine Reports are that a man punched a cameraman, pulled the microphone cable, and tried to destroy the camera He also allegedly attempted to seize the Gleaner reporter’s mobile phone and issued death threats to both journalists before he was ushered away by people who intervened

The Press Association of Jamaica and the Media Association of Jamaica condemned the attack RSF indicated that the incident would have contributed to the island’s drastic decline

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