Expression

Article 12 of the Constitution upholds the freedom of expression, with restrictions on the grounds of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health and the protection of the rights and reputations of others. Several private media houses exist and there is a practice of criticising both the government and opposition, including through phone-in shows, although there has been some concern about the neutrality of state media, particularly around elections. Leading political figures have also verbally attacked the media in the past. Mauritius’ ranking on the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index has declined in the current decade compared to the previous, but there are no recent reports of physical attacks on journalists. There is a lack of a media self-regulation framework, and defamation remains criminalised.There have been cases of people being charged for allegedly threatening or insulting leading political figures. There are, however, no reported restrictions on internet access. There remains no freedom of information law, although the government committed in 2015 to introducing one.