Evidence Act has comes into effect

Journalists have gathered near the Parliament in protest of the Parliament’s decision to move ahead with the source disclosure provision in the Evidence Bill, which could force them to disclose their sources. (Sun photo)

The Evidence Act comes into effect on Wednesday, January 18 onwards.

The bill was green lighted by the Parliament on June 30, 2022 and ratified by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on July 18, 2022.

The bill allows courts to force journalists and media outlets to reveal their sources. It declares national security threats and terror offenses as grounds for court orders to disclose sources.

This caused much uproar, and lead to the press filing a petition with the President’s Office expressing concern over the legislature.

Following the concerns raised over the bill, the government has submitted a bill to the Parliament to revise the provision in the Evidence Act that allows courts to force journalists and media outlets to reveal their source. It seeks to define national security threats and terror offenses, and is currently in the committee stages.

The Prosecutor General’s Office has conducted training programs for prosecutors and investigators to familiarize with the new law.