Recently, Senate passed the controversial media bill. According to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the bill is repressive.
Consequently, NUSOJ has taken the Upper House of the Federal Parliament to the Supreme Court to challenge the constitutionality of its decision regarding the media bill.
Senate passed the media bill on January 14, 2020.
NUSOJ lodged the appeal on February 1, 2020. However, the President of the Supreme Court only allowed the case to proceed on February 19, 2020.
Currently, Senate has 54 members, which is in accordance to the dictates of Article 72 of the Constitution.
A bill will only pass when 28 members vote in favor. However, the Media Bill passed with the blessing of 23 members of the Senate.
Three members voted against the bill while one abstention was recorded.
NUSOJ says the Senate voted for the Media Bill without honoring the provisions stipulated in the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
The journalists’ body has also cited several other instances that show the Senate passed the bill without honoring what the Constitution says.