The Newspapers (Amendment) Act, 1980 [Margin: Short title.]

ACT Supplement to the Sierra Leone Gazette Vol. CXI, No. 43 dated 31st July, 1980 SIGNED this 25th day of July, 1980. SIAKA STEVENS, President. (LS) No. 5 [Coat of arms] 1980 Sierra Leone The Newspapers (Amendment) Act, 1980 [Margin: Short title.] Being an Act to amend the Newspapers Act by making provisions for a proprietor to register his newspaper with the Minister; And for matters connected or incidental thereto [31st July, 1980.] [Margin: Date of Commencement.] BE IT ENACTED by the President and Members of Parliament in this present Parliament assembled, as follows:— [Margin: Amendment of Section 2 of Cap. 111.]

Section 2 of the Newspapers Act, (hereinafter referred to as the "principal Act") is hereby amended by inserting the following new interpretation at the beginning of section 2— 2 No. 5 Newspapers (Amendment) 1980 "Minister" or "Minister of Information and Broadcasting", means the Minister for the time being charged with the responsibility for Information and Broadcasting; "Proprietor" means— (a) a registered owner of an existing newspaper; (b) an applicant for registration under this Act.". [Margin: Insertion of new sections 2A, 2B and 2C in the principal Act.]

The following new sections are hereby inserted immediately after section 2, and shall have effect as sections 2A, 2B, and 2C of the principal Act— [Margin: Application for a certificate of registration and payment of fees.] "2A. (1) A proprietor of a newspaper shall make an application to the Minister within one month after the commencement of this Act, or in the case of a newly established newspaper, a proprietor shall apply before the first publication thereof, for a certificate of registration of such newspaper and thereafter for the renewal of such certificate of registration annually, as may be prescribed. (2) The initial fee for a certificate of registration shall be two thousand leones, and one thousand leones for every annual renewal thereof. [Margin: Power of Minister in relation to certificate of registration.] 2B (1) Subject to subsection (2) of section 15 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, the Minister may refuse to grant a certificate of registration or its annual renewal, or suspend or cancel such registration already granted as the case may be. (2) Where the Minister refuses or suspends or cancels a certificate of registration under the preceding sub-section, an aggrieved proprietor of a newspaper shall have a right of appeal to the High Court against the decision of the Minister.

A proprietor who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions in section 2A shall be guilty of an offence, and on conviction thereof shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand leones or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year, or to both such fine and imprisonment.". [Margin: Insertion of a new section 11 in the principal Act.]

The following new section is hereby inserted immediately after section 10, and shall have effect as section 11 of the principal Act— [Margin: "Rules.] 11. The Minister may make Rules— (a) to prescribe the form and manner in which the application for a certificate of registration under the Act shall be made; No. 5 Newspapers (Amendment) 1980 3 (b) to specify the conditions to be satisfied by a proprietor of a newspaper before the commencement of such business; and (c) to give effect to the provisions of this Act." Passed in Parliament this 8th day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eighty. J. W. E. DAVIES Clerk of Parliament. THIS PRINTED IMPRESSION has been carefully compared by me with the Bill which has passed Parliament and found by me to be a true and correctly printed copy of the said Bill. J. W. E. DAVIES Clerk of Parliament. PRINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING DEPARTMENT, SIERRA LEONE GAZETTE NO. 43 OF 31ST JULY, 1980