THE DRAFT Freedom of Information Bill is with a Cabinet sub-committee dealing with such matters, having already been to the Attorney General's office.

Chairman of the Advisory Board on Governance which has looked at the proposed Freedom of Information Bill, Senator Orlando Marville, said that members of the public were given the opportunity to make presentations to that body but very few journalists turned up.

He spoke yesterday during the Brass Tacks Sunday radio call-in programme on Starcom 790 that looked at Journalists Under Fire.

Marville also spoke of other areas which his committee considered which could have an impact on the work journalists do to inform the public. These included the proposed Integrity Legislation and repealing of the old Defamation Act.

However, in contribution to the programme, UWI lecturer and newspaper columnist Jeff Cumberbatch said he did not see a need fora Freedom of Information Act.

Cumberbatch said that the concept of public interest defence was statute in Britishlaw courts, which could be applicable to Barbados.

He spoke of a particular case, "Reynolds", noting that it was not limited to England and had in fact been applied in the Caribbean in at least two instances - both in Jamaica. (Seaga and Harper; and Bonnet and Morris)

Cumberbatch argued that what was required was the activism of our judiciary for "Reynolds" to apply here since it was in our common law.

Another contributor to the programme, former journalist Stephen Lashley, now an attorney and Member of the House of Assembly, indicated that some journalists engaged in self-censorship.

He promised to support any responsible bill coming before the House of Assembly dealing with Freedom of Information. (ES)