(CEMESP/IFEX) – “The Independent” newspaper, which was banned by the government for publishing a sex photo of former presidential affairs minister, Willie Knuckles, has been ordered by the Supreme Court of Liberia to return to “status quo ante.” The court’s latest ruling is a result of a challenge by “The Independent” through its legal counsel, […]
(CEMESP/IFEX) – “The Independent” newspaper, which was banned by the government for publishing a sex photo of former presidential affairs minister, Willie Knuckles, has been ordered by the Supreme Court of Liberia to return to “status quo ante.” The court’s latest ruling is a result of a challenge by “The Independent” through its legal counsel, Attorney-at-Law Syema Syrenius Cephus, protesting the government of Liberia’s order through the court’s system.
Accordingly, Attorney Cephus said, “That instruction or mandate from the office of the Chamber Justice suggests that “The Independent” newspaper can now publish because, if the instruction says return to ‘status quo ante’, what they are saying is that they return to the previous positions that both parties were occupying prior to the commencement of the action. The stay order is a victory for us.”
Commenting further, “The Independent” newspaper, through its lawyer, said the paper will appear on news stands on 29 March 2007. “The paper is now a free agent to do what it has been doing,” Attorney Cephus added.
“The Independent” has said that while it is true that they are not interested in publishing pornography, they are determined to comprehensively, exhaustively and critically analyze national issues. The paper has maintained that it has a mandate to alert the public about decadence in society.
It is now clear that, following the legal fight between “The Independent” and the Government of Liberia, managing editor Sam Dean and his paper can now return to their normal operations, provided the country is run according to law.
