ECOWAS Court judgement on fake news
The Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) delivered a landmark judgement on Gambian speech offence laws. The claim had been brought to court by Gambian journalists arrested and detained under the country’s criminal laws on libel, sedition, and false news. The ECOWAS Court found that the arrest and detention of the four Gambian journalists was a violation of their rights to freedom of expression, liberty, and freedom of movement. It directed Gambia to immediately repeal or amend the speech laws to align them with the country’s obligations under international law.
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