Sri Lanka censorship struck down

Censorship was imposed as part of emergency measures

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has ruled the government acted illegally in imposing media censorship in response to the war in the north.

The court said President Chandrika Kumaratunga's government had no authority to censor news reports or close down newspapers.

It ordered that the Sunday Leader group of newspapers, which are published in English and Sinhalese, should be allowed to resume publication immediately.

It is a big victory for freedom of the press

Lasantha Wickrematunga

The government imposed the censorship in May, after suffering a series of military setbacks at the hands of the rebel Tamil Tigers.

Compensation

The court ordered the government to pay the pro-opposition Sunday Leader nearly $1,500 in compensation.

Wickrematunga: "Setback for the government"

It also said that the government appointment of a censor to monitor reporting of the war in Sri Lanka had no force in law.

Speaking outside the court, the editor of the Sunday Leader, Lasantha Wickrematunga, said the ruling was a personal defeat for the government.

"It is a big victory for freedom of the press and we are delighted," he said.

There has been no response from the government to the Supreme Court ruling.

Media ban

President Kumaratunga's government imposed strict censorship in May, when it put in place unprecedented emergency measures after a series of heavy defeats in the northern Jaffna peninsula.

Sequence of events

February

Tamil Tigers begin Jaffna assault

April

Elephant Pass falls

May

Emergency measures

Censorship imposed

June

Supreme Court strikes down order

The printing press of the Sunday Leader was shut down after the publication of a report titled War in Fantasy Land, which used the word "not" in every sentence to escape censorship.

The government also shut down the Tamil Uthayan newspaper, the only publication in the Jaffna peninsula.

The newspaper's managing director, E Saravanapavan, told the BBC that the move had deprived Jaffna residents of their only source of information.

The foreign media also came under the censor's gaze but the action was lifted shortly after.

The BBC's Alastair Lawson in Colombo says the court ruling is unlikely to lead to widespread coverage of the conflict.

Journalists are barred from visiting the combat area and details from the war zone are hard to come by.