Parliament on Monday accepted for consideration the Bill on Defamation and Freedom of Speech.
The bill was tabled by Ungoofaaru MP Jaufar Dawood, and accepted for consideration with 38 votes in favour.
28 lawmakers voted against accepting the bill, while one lawmaker abstained.
The bill was sent to an 11-member committee for review.
Meanwhile, the Government on Monday rejected a joint statement issued by the United States, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Delegation of the EU to the Maldives, concerning the Defamation Bill that is currently debated in the Parliament.
A statement released by the Government noted that the Draft Bill on Defamation is still being debated at its second reading at the Parliament.
“As prescribed in the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament, the Bill, if accepted by the Parliament at this stage, will be sent to a committee of the Parliament for review, revision, and consultation with relevant stakeholders”, the statement read.
“During the debate today at the Parliament, the Parliamentary Group Leader of the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), Villimalé MP Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik said that his Party would work in the spirit of listening to the concerns raised by the media”, the statement noted.
It added that MP Nihan also proposed that the Bill be sent to an 11-member Committee, comprising all political parties represented in the Parliament, for further review and to address the specific concerns expressed by the media.
The statement said “the government wishes to note that the Draft Bill does not seek to criminalise free speech, [the bill] instead seeks to provide a layer of protection for those who may fall victim to scurrilous and defamatory articles and to ensure that such comment does not impact upon issues of religious sentiment or national security”.
“The Government recognises that care must be taken with such matters, and as such, the Draft Bill foresees a multi-stage process,” it added.
The Government further said “the Joint Statement seeks to advance a notion of freedom of expression that is in fact restricted in four out of the five countries which are signatories to the Statement; these countries have criminalised defamation and have enacted such statutes. Similarly, 23 out of the 28 Member States of the EU also have criminalised defamation.”