CLOSE

12 Lawyers graduate Media Defence East Africa Freedom of Expression Litigation Surgery in Kampala, Uganda

12 Lawyers graduate Media Defence East Africa Freedom of Expression Litigation Surgery in Kampala, Uganda

12 lawyers from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda completed a four-day legal training on freedom of expression in East Africa, between 7 and 11 August 2016. The workshop was hosted by the Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI) in partnership with the Human Rights Network for Journalists – Uganda (HRNJ-U) and the law firm WilmerHale.

Participants were trained on defamation law, freedom of expression online, media regulation, and freedom of information. They also developed their knowledge of international human rights mechanisms, such as the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the East African Court of Justice, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights – with practical tips on how to litigate before these mechanisms.

As part of the litigation surgery, the lawyers workshopped cases that could be pursued before domestic and/or international fora. Cases workshopped explored the constitutionality of restrictions placed on the media which prevents them from reporting from certain public places; criminal defamation as a violation of the right to freedom of expression under international law; and the blocking or banning of newspapers, social media services, or websites.

MLDI provides legal support to journalists, bloggers and independent media worldwide to enable them to continue with their reporting. A significant portion of MLDI’s work is currently conducted in the East African region; consequently MLDI is continually seeking to strengthen its network of lawyers to work within the region to further the regional freedom of expression framework.

MLDI thanks Ford FoundationHivos, and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, who co-funded the training.

Training materials are available here: Resources

Recent News

The Legal Minefield of Investigating Tech: Insights from Our CEO

At the 2025 International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Media Defence CEO Carlos Gaio joined a panel discussion titled “When Removing Bylines Isn’t Enough: How Can Journalists Safely Investigate Tech in 2025?” (Watch in full below). The conversation explored the growing threats facing those who report on powerful technology companies — and the tools they can […]

Read

El impacto de nuestras cirugías de litigio: Una conversación con el abogado Jorge Ruiz del Ángel 

El año pasado entrevistamos al abogado mexicano de derechos humanos Jorge Ruiz del Ángel sobre su experiencia participando en una de nuestras cirugías de litigio y su incorporación a nuestra red global de abogados/as. Nuestras cirugías de litigio  Las cirugías de litigio son un componente clave del trabajo global de Media Defence y se ofrecen […]

Read

Conoce al equipo: Marta Cabrera

Nos complace enormemente dar la bienvenida a Marta Cabrera, una destacada abogada especializada en derechos humanos, quien se une a nuestro equipo como consultora legal. Con años de experiencia en las Cortes Interamericana y Europea de Derechos Humanos, Marta aporta una perspectiva invaluable a nuestro trabajo. En esta entrevista de la serie Conoce al equipo, […]

Read