Grenada

 CountryType of Law 
 
 

Criminal Defamation

No provisions.

Criminal defamation was repealed in Grenada in 2012. However, see under “Recent Legal Changes” for information on provisions related to electronic communications.

 

Criminal Defamation of Public Officials

Provisions on the books (seditious libel).

Seditious libel is a criminal offence under Art. 327 of the Grenada Criminal Code. The punishment is imprisonment for up to two years.

 

Criminal Defamation of the Head of State

Provisions on the books.

Defaming or insulting the Queen of Grenada is a criminal offence under Art. 328 of the Grenada Criminal Code. It is punished as a misdemeanour.

 

Criminal Defamation of the State and its Symbols

Provisions on the books (seditious libel).

Seditious libel is a criminal offence under Art. 327 of the Grenada Criminal Code. The punishment is imprisonment for up to two years.

 

Criminal Defamation of Foreign States and Symbols

No provisions.

 

Criminal Defamation of the Deceased

No provisions.

 

Criminal Blasphemy

No provisions.

 

Other Relevant Criminal Provisions

Criminal Procedure

Statistics on Application

Civil Defamation

Media Cases and Case Law

Recent Legal Changes

In July 2012, the Grenada government abolished criminal defamation by repealing Arts. 252 and 253 of the Grenada Criminal Code. The move came several months after the International Press Institute and the Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers launched a campaign against criminal defamation laws in the Caribbean.

In March 2014, the government repealed sections of the Electronic Crimes Act 2013 that had been widely criticised by free expression groups, including IPI. Among the sections repealed was Art. 6, which mandated up to one year in prison for sending by electronic means any information that is “grossly offensive” or that is known to be false but reproduced in order to cause “annoyance”, “insult” or “ill will”.

 

Notes and Acknowledgements

The information contained in this database is for informational and advocacy purposes only. If you are a journalist facing a defamation claim, you should seek legal advice from a qualified attorney. However, if you are unable to find such an attorney, IPI may be able to assist you in doing so. Please contact us at ipi[at]freemedia.at.

Information on Grenada was last updated in September 2015.

 

 

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