Author Archives: Press

20 May 2025. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) today released its analysis of proposed amendments to Puerto Rico’s Access to Information Act, in the form of Senate Bill 63. Rather than improving the legal environment for access to information in Puerto Rico, the amendments would reduce the score of Puerto Rico from 73 … Continue reading →

5 May 2025. The Maldives’ Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Transparency Maldives (TM) recently published their Comprehensive Assessment on the Implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act in the Maldives. This assessment was conducted in collaboration with the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) using its comprehensive methodology for assessing RTI implementation. The methodology … Continue reading →

28 April 2025. You are invited to a webinar hosted by the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) on international freedom of expression standards on the right to information, and on restrictions on this right and freedom of expression on national security grounds. The webinar will feature a presentation from CLD introducing international standards on the … Continue reading →

15 April 2025. Last year, the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) analysed media policies issued by two provisional governments with control over territory in Myanmar, namely the Media Code of Conduct of the Interim Executive Council of Karenni State (Karenni IEC) and Chapter 12 of the Policy and Regulations for Conducting Tasks Relating to … Continue reading →

21 February 2025. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) today released its analysis of the impact on access to information of the omnibus Bill No. 1, An Act Respecting Government Organization and Administration, tabled in parliament earlier this week by the Government of Nova Scotia, Canada. The analysis shows that despite claims by the … Continue reading →

13 February 2025. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) today released its analysis of Nepal’s Social Media Act (Bill) 2081, which was tabled in parliament in late January 2025. The Bill has multiple problems when assessed against international standards on freedom of expression, including that the extensive regulatory powers in the Bill are all … Continue reading →

29 January 2025. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD), in collaboration with the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA), recently launched the report Maldives: Overview of the Environment for Media, providing a broad look at the situation facing the media and journalists in the Maldives. The report is an updated version of a 2021 report by … Continue reading →

20 January 2025. Today, the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD), in collaboration with the International Federation of Journalists, is launching the report Malaysia: Media Law Reform Blueprint. The report provides a broad look at the way regulation of the media works in Malaysia, assessing both historic legislation and the many new laws which been … Continue reading →

16 January 2025. You are invited to a webinar hosted by the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) on international freedom of expression standards on hate speech. The webinar will feature presentations from CLD in three different areas: International standards for legal prohibitions of hate speech. Standards for professional media regulation of discriminatory speech. Emerging standards … Continue reading →

14 January 2025. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD), an international human rights organisation based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, will host up to four interns for the summer of 2025. The position will involve a range of substantive legal work in areas such as freedom of expression, media law, digital rights and access to … Continue reading →

17 December 2024. Today, the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD), in collaboration with a number of other civil society organisations which make up the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 Data Initiative, is launching a report on the role of SDG 16 in reducing poverty, SDG 16 Data Initiative 2024 Report: SDG 16 as a … Continue reading →

29 November 2024. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) has made a submission to a public consultation by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on their Draft Recommendation of the Council on Information Integrity (draft Recommendation). CLD’s Note provides analysis of and recommendations on key parts of the draft Recommendation, with a … Continue reading →

18 November 2024. You are invited to a webinar hosted by the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) on international freedom of expression standards on digital rights, focusing on standards for regulating online speech and emerging practices for regulating digital platforms. The webinar will feature presentations from CLD on international standards on digital rights and platform … Continue reading →

24 October 2024. A new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Freedom of Expression for Parliaments and Their Members is being launched on Monday, 28 October, and everyone who is interested in this subject is encouraged to take the course, which is available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese (see links below). The course was … Continue reading →

3 October 2024. You are invited to a webinar on international freedom of expression standards which provide particular protection to journalists, with a focus on whistleblower protections, protection of sources and anti-SLAPP measures.  The webinar will be held on 10 October 2024 at 8:30 Eastern Time/13:30 Central European Time. An agenda for the webinar is … Continue reading →

26 September 2024. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) would like to wish everyone a happy International Right to Know Day (IRTKD), 2024. First established in 2002 by civil society organisations, IRTKD has grown in stature and recognition, ultimately being formally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly as a formal UN day, International … Continue reading →

25 September 2024. Today, as a pre-International Right to Know Day event, the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) is releasing its Principles on Right to Information for Small Island Developing States: The Case of the Pacific. The right to access information held by public authorities, or the right to information (RTI), is a human … Continue reading →

23 September 2024. Three of Atlantic Canada’s access to information oversight offices are coming together during this year’s Right to Know Week for a live virtual panel discussion. Joining them will be a representative from one of the world’s leading access to information organizations, the Centre for Law and Democracy. The discussion will take place … Continue reading →

You are invited to CLD’s webinar on 18 July, Introduction to Creating a Media Lawyers’ Network. This webinar provides a general introduction to the concept of creating a national professional network of media lawyers, steps which can be taken to establish one and resources developed by CLD to support the formation of such networks.  Register … Continue reading →

24 June 2024.  The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) has submitted an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief to the Constitutional Court of Colombia in a case in which a journalist was blocked on X (formerly Twitter) by the official account of a regional government. Official government accounts are part of the wider … Continue reading →