THE MEDIA Association of Jamaica Ltd (MAJ) and the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) have come out in strong support of Prime Minister Bruce Golding's endorsement of proposed amendments to libel laws that would engender higher levels of accountability among public officials.

MAJ President Gary Allen told The Gleaner yesterday that, even as a joint select committee of Parliament examines the issues in a "delicate way", the prime minister's strong position on the need for greater accountability is welcome.

Public accountability

"It's an argument that we have been advancing and I hope that he (the prime minister) will be able to persuade some of his colleague parliamentarians of the need for this higher level of accountability," Allen said.

He noted that there has been a significant level of concern about amending the law to uphold public accountability.

For his part, PAJ President Byron Buckley said the association welcomed the recent pronounce-ments of Prime Minister Bruce Golding in support of the need for greater freedom for the press to scrutinise the performance of public officials.

Buckley asserted that the prime minister has been consistent in his call for greater accountability for public officials.

"We hope Mr Golding's views will be translated into his administration's support of the position by the media fraternity that malice should be the only defence for public officials alleging libel and defamation."

To expose unprincipled

Earlier this week, Golding warned that the libel laws must not become a firewall that is used for the protection of unprincipled persons.

"There are people who deserve not only to be exposed but to be put behind bars, who are able to hold on to the libel laws and hold it up as a shield and say 'touch me if you think you're bad' and I think that needs to be broken down," Golding stated.

He was addressing the opening of the 40th annual general assembly of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, Tuesday night at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort in Ocho Rios, St Ann.

Golding established a committee, under the chairmanship of Justice Hugh Small, to review Jamaica's libel and slander laws. He said the committee "did their work, they submitted their report, we took it to Parliament and it has spent a long time before a parliamentary committee".

"It is getting some traction now and I am hoping that, in the course of this legislative year, that the committee will complete its work so whatever legislative changes are necessary will be implemented," he noted.

The prime minister said the legislation would seek to create a clear distinction between the ordinary citizen and those persons, who seek, obtain and exercise public power. He said that public officials must be prepared to be questioned about their lifestyle and behaviour.

"I believe that those of us who offer ourselves for public office, particularly elected office, where we ask the people to trust us and entrust in our hands, power, must be prepared to expose and subject ourselves to a higher standard of transparency than the ordinary citizen, who is just going about his business," he argued.