Category Archives: News

25 July 2022. The undersigned 10 organizations call on the government of Maldives to repeal or amend the deeply problematic provision in the Evidence Act (Act No. 11/2022) that compels journalists to reveal sources on court orders and to ensure the rights to privacy, freedom of expression and the press in line with international human … Continue reading →

14 July 2022. You are invited to our webinar on 20 July, Introduction to Creating a Media Lawyers’ Network. This webinar provides a general introduction to the concept of a media lawyers’ network, steps which can be taken to establish one and resources developed by CLD to support the formation of such networks. An agenda … Continue reading →

13 July 2022. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) has prepared a Submission in response to a call for inputs on challenges to freedom of expression in times of armed conflict and other disturbances by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression. “The importance of freedom of expression is perhaps greater … Continue reading →

 7 July 2022. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) is today releasing A Guide on Using International Freedom of Expression Norms in Domestic Courts. This short but focused Guide aims to serve as a resource for lawyers seeking to use international legal standards relating to freedom of expression to enhance their domestic litigation. “In … Continue reading →

5 July 2022 – for immediate release The Centre for Law and Democracy and News Media Europe are thrilled to launch the Guide for Journalists on How to Document International Crimes, with concrete recommendations for journalists and editors on how to capture information about international crimes so that it may be admitted as evidence in … Continue reading →

30 May 2022. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) has today published a briefing note, in English and Burmese, on the right to a public trial in response to media reports on closed judicial proceedings in Myanmar’s prisons. The military regime running Myanmar has reportedly established courts inside various prisons, including Insein Prison, to … Continue reading →

3 May 2022. Today, the specialised mandates tasked with promoting and protecting freedom of expression at the UN, OAS, OSCE and African Commission launched their annual Joint Declaration under the title Freedom of Expression and Gender Justice. The Joint Declaration, which was drafted with the assistance of the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD), sets … Continue reading →

2 May 2022. The military regime running Myanmar first proposed a draft Cyber Security Law in February 2021, but strong criticism from a number of companies and organisations, including the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD), led to the temporary withdrawal of those proposals. In January 2022, however, the regime promulgated a new version of … Continue reading →

8 April 2022. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) expresses deep disappointment in the recent decision of the Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court to deny the province’s information commissioner the authority to review documents which the government claims are protected by solicitor client privilege. This effectively deprives the commissioner of the power to review … Continue reading →

31 March 2022. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) has made a Submission to the British Columbia (BC) all-party Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), the local right to information law. This follows an appearance before the Committee by CLD Executive Director, Toby Mendel, on 16 … Continue reading →

28 March 2022. In February 2021, Myanmar’s military overthrew the democratically elected government in a coup. Since then, they have conducted a highly repressive and frequently violent campaign against democracy advocates and human rights defenders. Independent media now operate largely underground as the regime has legally closed and harassed them and arrested journalists. The Centre … Continue reading →

15 March 2022. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) is collaborating with the Puerto Rican network Red de Transparencia and its member organisation Espacios Abiertos (EA) to host a series of events as part of Sunshine Week in Puerto Rico. These include meetings with a wide range of different stakeholders – from all three … Continue reading →

24 February 2022. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) has submitted an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief to the Constitutional Court of Colombia outlining freedom of expression concerns raised by an exception to Colombia’s net neutrality protections. The exception enables “zero-rating” schemes, whereby Internet access providers effectively give free access to certain … Continue reading →

14 February 2022. (A Spanish translation is below) CLD is concerned that proposed changes to El Salvador’s Law on Access to Public Information will limit transparency and access to information in El Salvador. This is a disappointing development given that the current law is very strong and El Salvador has historically been a regional leader. … Continue reading →

21 January 2022. 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 2022. 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 →

7 December 2021. Toby Mendel, the Executive Director of Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD), will today be speaking at an online discussion panel from 11:00 – 12:30 EST at the launch of the 2021 Global Report of the Sustainable Development Goal 16 Data Initiative (SDG16 DI). The SDG16 DI is a consortium dedicated to … Continue reading →

5 December 2021. The military regime running Myanmar recently hosted members of the new Myanmar Press Council (MPC) at a much-vaunted ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw. But the new MPC, appointed by the military after former members resigned following the February coup, does not have the independence needed to act as a legitimate media regulatory … Continue reading →

10 November 2021. The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) is looking for a successful, highly motivated person to begin working with us as a Legal Officer starting in January 2022 or shortly thereafter. The successful applicant will be rewarded with exciting, cutting edge legal work in countries all over the world, high-level representational opportunities … Continue reading →