(RSF/IFEX) – The following is an RSF press release: France: Reporters sans frontières labels press-related clauses in new presumption of innocence legislation unnecessary and dangerous Reporters sans frontières is protesting the unnecessary and dangerous press-related clauses in the new presumption of innocence bill. French legislative clauses, notably Article 9 of the Civil Code, concerning the […]
(RSF/IFEX) – The following is an RSF press release:
France: Reporters sans frontières labels press-related clauses in new
presumption of innocence legislation unnecessary and dangerous
Reporters sans frontières is protesting the unnecessary and dangerous
press-related clauses in the new presumption of innocence bill.
French legislative clauses, notably Article 9 of the Civil Code, concerning
the respect of peoples’ private lives, and Article 38 of the Penal Code,
concerning the recreation of crime scenes, are sufficient to settle disputes
which can arise between privacy rights of individuals and the right to
inform.
Under cover of a necessary defence to the presumption of innoncence or the
respect of individuals’ private lives, the clauses would allegedly introduce
new restrictions on the right to inform and be informed.
The clauses in the bill which are aimed at the press run counter to the
European Convention on Human Rights and European Court case law.
Reporters sans frontières asks the justice minister to remove the clauses
concerning the press from the bill.
