Draft of RDTL Media Law reported by Parliament Committee A on 2 May 2014 Page 1 Rough translation by La’o Hamutuk. See http://www.laohamutuk.org/misc/MediaLaw/14MediaLaw.htm for original and other materials. NATIONAL PARLIAMENT PROPOSED LAW No. 9/III (2) TEXT VOTED IN SPECIALTY Media Law Whereas the right to information, freedom of speech and of the press are fundamental for the consolidation of democracy, the Timorese State prepares to strengthen the media sector. In this context, the present law, the first of free and independent Timor-Leste, on the defense of press freedom and regulation of the media, defends the right of the citizen to fully exercise freedom of thought and expression and allows the information professional the guarantee of professional secrecy and safeguard his/her independence. It is therefore important to delineate by law to regulate the exercise of such freedoms, ensuring their implementation. The provision of rules on the exercise of the right to information and freedom of expression and the press is also revealed as fundamental, not only to comply with the relevant constitutional requirements laid down in Articles 40 and 41 of the Constitution, but, in the final analysis, to ensure the construction of a democratic state under rule of law. This law aims to ensure freedom of the press, promoting the necessary balance between the exercise of this fundamental freedom and other constitutionally protected rights and values. The eight chapters of this law seek to regulate the exercise of journalistic activity by journalists and media organizations. Fundamentally, it is intended that properly prepared and ethically responsible professionals can objectively and impartially inform the public, stimulating the exercise of active and informed citizenship by the population. Simultaneously, this law calls for measures to protect and safeguard the free and independent exercise of journalists’ activity, sanctioning of acts which constitute breaches of that exercise. This law creates an independent administrative entity called the Press Council, consisting mainly of media agents, that is, journalists and media outlets, which will ensure compliance with this law, including the rights and duties of journalists, as well as observation of ethical principles of journalistic activity. Therefore, the National Parliament, in accordance with Article 95.1 of the Constitution of the Republic, as law, decrees the following: ARRANGEMENT OF ARTICLES AND CHAPTERS CHAPTER 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1 - Subject Article 2 - Definitions Article 3 - Functions of the media Article 4 - Duties of the media Article 5 - Functions of the State in the field of media Article 6 - State support CHAPTER II - FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES Article 7 - Right to information Article 8 - Freedom of the press Article 9 - Freedom of expression Article 10 - Prohibition of censorship Article 11 - Limits on press freedom