PRESS LAW IN FIJI: CORRECTION BILL

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 March 1949, Page 8

PRESS LAW IN FIJI: CORRECTION BILL

SUVA, March 14

The Press Correction Bill was today passed by the Fiji Legislative Council. A minority of non-official members voted against it. Government speakers maintained that the bill was precautionary and not directed against any publication or group.

The bill, which follows a closely similar measure passed unanimously by the Uganda Legislature last year, gives the Governor-in-Council power in certain circumstances to order the publication of a short factual statement on a report held to be incorrect or distorted, the journal still having full freedom to comment as it pleases on the correction and also having the right to take the matter to a court of law.

The Opposition, representing European and Indian sectional groups, held that this infringed the freedom of the press, but the Government replied that the only object was, if occasion arose, to ensure the publication of both sides of a question.

Earlier the Fiji Times, the most widely read of the colony’s newspapers, welcomed the bill on the grounds that it would affect only irresponsible publications and would infringe no liberties of any journal which followed the usual practices of reputable British newspapers.