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Draft Bill on Freedom of Information
11 February 2015
The
Seychelles Media Commission will be leading discussions to produce a Freedom of
Information Act for Seychelles. The Right of Access to Information is
guaranteed under Article 28 of the Constitution of Seychelles. In January, this
year the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information
for Africa, Pansy Tlakula, was on an advocacy visit in Seychelles, at the
invitation of the Seychelles Media Commission. The focus of the visit was to
promote a Model Law for Access to Information that has been adopted by the
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). The aim of the Model
Law is to;
Member States may adopt the Model Law as it is or adapt it. They may adopt it as a whole or in part. The Seychelles Media Commission aims to use the Model Law as a guide to propose a Draft Bill on Freedom of Information that takes into account the context of Seychelles. It is in this spirit that the SMC will be organising a symposium, tentatively during the last week of May, as part of consultation on the proposed Bill. In preparation for this we would be most grateful for your thoughts on the Model Law. This will assist us in compiling a document which can be the basis for discussions at the Symposium.
Please send your feedback by email or by post to P.O. Box 1501, Victoria
Click to download the Model Law on Access to Information in PDF format
- guide the development of new Access to Information (ATI) legislation and the review of existing legislation,
- be an advocacy tool to encourage the adoption of ATI laws,
- offer a compilation of best practices,
- reinforce a common approach and harmonisation of ATI laws.
Member States may adopt the Model Law as it is or adapt it. They may adopt it as a whole or in part. The Seychelles Media Commission aims to use the Model Law as a guide to propose a Draft Bill on Freedom of Information that takes into account the context of Seychelles. It is in this spirit that the SMC will be organising a symposium, tentatively during the last week of May, as part of consultation on the proposed Bill. In preparation for this we would be most grateful for your thoughts on the Model Law. This will assist us in compiling a document which can be the basis for discussions at the Symposium.
Please send your feedback by email or by post to P.O. Box 1501, Victoria
Click to download the Model Law on Access to Information in PDF format
Members of the Seychelles Media Commission Appointed
04 April 2014
In accordance with Section 4 of the Seychelles Media Commission Act 2010, the President has appointed the Members of the Seychelles Media Commission, for a 3-year period effective from the 27th January, 2014.
The full composition of the Board is as follows:
Mr. Ibrahim Afif Chairperson ( is also the Chief Executive Officer – he is nominated by the President)
Ms. Tania Isaac Member ( is being nominated by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles)
Ms. Samantha Aglae Member (is being nominated by the Judiciary)
Ms. Pauline Ferrari Member (is being nominated by the Department of Information)
Mr. Jean-Claude Matombe Member (is being nominated by LUNGOS)
Dr. Marie-Reine Hoareau Member (a person of good standing nominated by the President)
Mr. Rowny Vidot Member (a person of good standing nominated by the President)
It is to be noted that Ms Pauline Ferrari was appointed effective 1st April, 2014.
The full composition of the Board is as follows:
Mr. Ibrahim Afif Chairperson ( is also the Chief Executive Officer – he is nominated by the President)
Ms. Tania Isaac Member ( is being nominated by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles)
Ms. Samantha Aglae Member (is being nominated by the Judiciary)
Ms. Pauline Ferrari Member (is being nominated by the Department of Information)
Mr. Jean-Claude Matombe Member (is being nominated by LUNGOS)
Dr. Marie-Reine Hoareau Member (a person of good standing nominated by the President)
Mr. Rowny Vidot Member (a person of good standing nominated by the President)
It is to be noted that Ms Pauline Ferrari was appointed effective 1st April, 2014.
Seychelles Media Commission reacts to World Press Freedom Index 2014
14 February 2014
The Commission is surprised at the decline of the ranking of Seychelles on the World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) as there have been moves to promote an independent and private media in the country. The significant reduction in broadcast licence fees has prompted the launch of the first privately-owned radio station in August last year. Similarly the restructuring of licence fees for the print media has resulted in an increase in privately-owned publications. This positive development has increased opportunities for divergent views and opinions to be heard in the media. The promotion of pluralism and media independence are two criteria considered by RSF when compiling the World Press Freedom Index.
The media is allowed to carry on with their business without interference from government. For example, in 2013 no journalist was imprisoned, killed or beaten while doing their job. However, there is room for improvement in areas of transparency and legislative framework.
It should be noted that although the World Press Freedom Index 2014 shows that Seychelles has dropped from 93rd in 2013 to 103rd in 2014, yet the Index actually shows a (+9) which should mean that Seychelles has climbed nine positions and contradicts our current position on the Index. This “error” puts into question the accuracy of the Index.
Furthermore, the Commission is of the view that some of the countries that are ranked higher than Seychelles on the Index have, last year, either imprisoned journalists or enacted laws that impinge on press freedom or brought about defamation suits that requested large sums of money against the media or restricted access to information under the pretext of national security. This further leaves the report open to question about its credibility and accuracy.
Seychelles has made quite a few leaps in liberalising the media and promoting press freedom. There is even a degree of tolerance towards newspapers that are affiliated to political parties. Should public officials choose to take action against the press for defamation, there would be a suit brought against the press at least every week. Furthermore, one of the reasons for not granting the Seychelles Media Commission powers to sanction is because the authorities did not wish it to be perceived as a body that has been created to stifle press freedom. However, there are deficiencies in certain areas that need to be addressed. In October last year, the Commission held an Editors’ Forum and one of the issues raised was the lack of cooperation on the part of some government ministries and organisations. The Press need to have access to information being held by public officials and this will be ensured by the promulgation of a Freedom of Information Act. It is also important that some public officials recognise that apart from the national broadcaster (SBC) and the government-owned newspaper (Seychelles Nation), there are other players on the field and that they should all be treated with fairness. The SBC should also abide to Article 168 of the Constitution and the SBC Act 2011 allowing for a wider scope for divergent views to be presented on the public radio and television.
The media is allowed to carry on with their business without interference from government. For example, in 2013 no journalist was imprisoned, killed or beaten while doing their job. However, there is room for improvement in areas of transparency and legislative framework.
It should be noted that although the World Press Freedom Index 2014 shows that Seychelles has dropped from 93rd in 2013 to 103rd in 2014, yet the Index actually shows a (+9) which should mean that Seychelles has climbed nine positions and contradicts our current position on the Index. This “error” puts into question the accuracy of the Index.
Furthermore, the Commission is of the view that some of the countries that are ranked higher than Seychelles on the Index have, last year, either imprisoned journalists or enacted laws that impinge on press freedom or brought about defamation suits that requested large sums of money against the media or restricted access to information under the pretext of national security. This further leaves the report open to question about its credibility and accuracy.
Seychelles has made quite a few leaps in liberalising the media and promoting press freedom. There is even a degree of tolerance towards newspapers that are affiliated to political parties. Should public officials choose to take action against the press for defamation, there would be a suit brought against the press at least every week. Furthermore, one of the reasons for not granting the Seychelles Media Commission powers to sanction is because the authorities did not wish it to be perceived as a body that has been created to stifle press freedom. However, there are deficiencies in certain areas that need to be addressed. In October last year, the Commission held an Editors’ Forum and one of the issues raised was the lack of cooperation on the part of some government ministries and organisations. The Press need to have access to information being held by public officials and this will be ensured by the promulgation of a Freedom of Information Act. It is also important that some public officials recognise that apart from the national broadcaster (SBC) and the government-owned newspaper (Seychelles Nation), there are other players on the field and that they should all be treated with fairness. The SBC should also abide to Article 168 of the Constitution and the SBC Act 2011 allowing for a wider scope for divergent views to be presented on the public radio and television.
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